Whatever It Takes
by Sonya Alexander
Summary: When someone Gibbs' put away returns for revenge, Special Agent Todd's life may be at risk. But will he be able to save her from his enemy before it is too late?
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading, this is my first story so I hope you like it. Warning, this is rated M for some content later on in the story. It isn't very graphic, but I did it just to be safe. Also, the story gets off to a sort of slow start so bear with me. It gets better though. I promise! :) _**

**Chapter 1**

It was early Thursday morning and Kate was just returning from her morning run. She unlocked the door to her apartment and swung the door open. Kate flung her sweatshirt on the nearby chair and placed her keys on her granite countertop. Her breathing had finally gone back to normal, but she was hot and sweaty in her knee length running pants and under armor sweatshirt. She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and chugged it down. Glancing over at the clock on the microwave, Kate noticed that it was 7:43 AM.

"Crap." She said in between gulps.

Kate was supposed to be at NCIS by 8:30 at the latest, and of course she had already been late three times that week. Once again she brought the water bottle to her mouth only to realize it was empty. She threw the bottle in her recycling bin and headed for her bedroom. Her gun was in her bedside table drawer. Kate opened it to check to make sure it was still there. Quickly she closed the drawer. Heading toward her closet she suddenly heard a thump. Kate froze. She glanced toward the drawer again, not daring to breathe. Standing there in her closet, she waited for another sound. A crash, or a bang, or a thump. But nothing. _It's probably just someone upstairs. _Kate thought. _Or the wind._

Since she began working at NCIS, Kate had become more observant. Every sound or creak had her convinced that there was someone trying to break into her apartment.

The sweat collecting on her forehead drew her attention back to her much needed shower. Grabbing a black short sleeved V-neck top and grey work pants, Kate headed for the bathroom.

The cool water felt great against her warm skin. There was no time to wash her hair, so Kate tied it back for the duration of her shower. Her shower was so relaxing; she was dreading having to leave the soothing flow of water and go to work. Working at NCIS had its advantages, but it also had its…DiNozzos. Kate couldn't wait to hear the juvenile comments she would suffer through today.

Reluctantly turning off the water, Kate reached for her towel. Wrapping it around her, she continued to do the rest of her usual morning activities. She made her hair look presentable and fumbled through her make up. Looking in the mirror at the final result, Kate sighed.

"Well, I guess that is as good as it's gonna get."

She threw her makeup bag into her cabinet and closed the door. Immediately, Kate glanced at her watch and she regretted it. 8:12. _Damn it! _Kate dashed to the kitchen to grab her phone and keys. Halfway out the door, Kate realized her weapon was still in the draw next to her bed.

The door slammed against the wall while she dashed back into her bedroom. The drawer slid open, but instead of revealing her gun, it revealed an empty. Kate was shocked to find the drawer empty. Before she could even react, a hand holding some white cloth came straight toward her. Her keys jingled as they hit the floor. Struggling to break free of the intruders grasp, Kate could smell the sweet scent of…chloroform. The cloth was blocking her nose and mouth hindering her breathing. She was still fighting, but her resisting had become weak and useless. Slowly, Kate drifted out of consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own NCIS or any of its characters. **

**Chapter 2**

Gibbs swished the coffee around in his cup. He took another sip as he waited for the elevator to reach the squad room floor. The bell sounded and the doors slid open. DiNozzo was blabbering on about some date he had the night before to McGee.

"Seriously, Probie. You should've seen this girl. She was smoking! Hell, she could even make Gibbs blush."

"Who could DiNozzo?" Gibbs interrupted as he walked to his desk.

"Hey boss. We were just talking about …uhh…Oh! Abby called for you. Says she may have a lead on our dead corporal."

"Yeah? She say anything else DiNozzo?" Gibbs walked straight up to Tony who was sitting on the edge of McGee's desk.

"Just that she thought she deserved a Caf Pow."

Gibbs smirked. He started walking toward the back of the office before turning back. "Oh, and DiNozzo."

"Yes boss?" DiNozzo said as he met up with Gibbs. He regretted it as soon as he did because there was a sudden burst of pain to the back of his head as it came in contact with Gibbs' hand.

"No woman has ever made me blush. Just to let you know."

"Yes boss." Gibbs walked away, still smirking.

Down in Abby's lab, Gibbs could hear her blaring music from the moment the elevator reached the ground.

"What do you got, Abbs?" Gibbs said, crossing the threshold into the lab.

"Gibbs!" Abby squealed. "Where's my Caf Pow!" she pouted.

"Depends on what you got."

"Well, you're in luck Gibbs because _I_ just solved our latest mystery!" She started to type on the keyboard to bring something up on the screen, and then she turned back to Gibbs. "Corporal Vega was definitely _not_ murdered!"

"And you know this how?"

"Because, I analyzed the marks that Ducky found on the corporal's arm. They were puncture wounds. From a needle Gibbs. Just like the needle we found at the crime scene." The evidence bag with the syringe was on the table behind the two. "The only fingerprints on this needle are Corporal Vega's. I found traces of various drugs in his system. CSU found more drugs under the floor boards of Vega's apartment. He overdosed Gibbs. And my guess is, on purpose."

"That's good work Abbs." He gave her a peck on the cheek before turning to exit the room.

"What about my Caf Pow!" Abby called after him.

"Check the fridge." Sure enough, there was a full Caf Pow in the scientist's fridge.

Back up stairs, Gibbs noticed that Kate's desk was empty and there was no sign of her ever being in that morning. DiNozzo was at his desk reading a GSM and McGee was typing away at his computer. Gibbs looked around suspiciously once more.

"Kate been in yet?" He finally asked his other two agents.

"No boss." DiNozzo replied.

"Haven't seen her" McGee said. "She hasn't called either. You think something's up boss?"

"I don't know." Tony added. "She has been late an awful lot this week. Probably ran into a cute guy at her coffee shop." He smirked.

"No. Something's not right." Gibbs walked over to McGee. "Try calling her cell."

The phone didn't even ring. The call went to voicemail immediately. Tony walked over to join the other two agents.

"What about her house phone?" Tony suggested. McGee quickly dialed. The phone rang this time, but eventually went to voice mail too.

"No answer boss."

"Yeah. Yeah I got that McGee. Can you get a fix on her cell?"

"Well," McGee started, "It's probably off because it went right to voicemail, but I think I can trace where she made her last call from."

"You _think_ McGee?" Gibbs asked hastily.

"I'm-I'm starting the trace now." McGee stuttered. "Alright, the last time Kate's cell phone was on she was…at home boss." Gibbs walked back toward his desk. He stared at Kate's desk.

"Something's not right…Tony!"

"Yes boss?" DiNozzo replied quickly.

"You're with me. We are going to check out Kate's apartment. McGee, stay here. You call me if her cell phone comes back on."

The two agents quickly walked over to the elevator. Once inside Gibbs felt uneasy.

"Where are you Kate?" He whispered.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Kate finally regained consciousness, she surveyed her surroundings. Her muscles felt weak and she was very dizzy. She saw concrete walls, poles, and a door with a padlock on it on the left. There was an open door on the right with light coming through into the shadowy room. It took a minute for Kate to realize that she was tied to a chair resting up against a pole. The ropes that bound her wrapped all the way around the pole. Kate started to fidget to get free. She tried to push against the ropes but it was no use. The knots were too tight and were not loosening at all. She grunted. Again, Kate surveyed the room, this time paying more attention. The room wasn't too big. It was dark, but not pitch black. Light was streaming in small rectangular windows that were close to the ceiling. They looked like basement windows. Kate tried to catch a glimpse of the structure behind her. There was a work-bench type structure against the far back wall. A shadow was cast over the top; the objects were impossible to identify. She was trying to make sense of all that had happened when a sound startled her.

The concrete door on the left twitched. It sounded like there was a lock being lifted out of place. Kate stiffened. A man entered the room and shut the door. There was a beeping before he turned away from the door. Kate assumed it was the padlock she had seen earlier. The man was walking toward her, smiling.

"Well, well, well. Special Agent Todd. I see you are finally awake." He smirked and looked down at her. "I bet you're pretty confused, huh?"

"Who are you?" She spat back. "Where am I?"

He chuckled. "I'll answer your questions Kate, may I call you Kate? But first, you look hungry." He held up a paper bag. "Want some food?"

Kate glared at him. She _was _hungry. Breakfast hadn't seemed important earlier. "I'm not taking anything from you. Now answer my questions."

"First of all, Kate, we need to establish some rules here. See, you don't tell _me_ what to do. I am in control here. Got that? You will do what I say when I say it. And if you don't," His hand brushed against her leg and Kate twitched, "well, I wouldn't want to have to hurt a pretty girl like yourself."

Kate kicked her leg and hit the man in the chest. "Go to hell!" she screamed. There was a squeal of pain from the man before he dropped the bag and turned back to Kate.

"See. Now, you shouldn't have done that Kate." He took his hand back and smacked Kate straight across her face. The spot where the man hit her was stinging. Tears swelled in her eyes, but she forced herself not to cry. Her breathing had gotten heavier too. The man picked up the bag and opened it. He threw a small water bottle and wrapped sandwich at her. "Eat." He commanded. Kate stared at him.

"How would you like me to do that?" she said gesturing toward her bound arms with her head.

"Well," he smirked, "I guess I will just have to feed you, huh? Of course, you will have to ask me nicely."

"I would rather starve." Kate grimaced.

"Suit yourself." The man took a chair from the side of the room, twisted it so the seat was facing him, and sat looking at Kate. They stared at each other until she finally broke the silence.

"Who are you?" She asked again.

"Well, let's just say I'm an old friend of your boss, Special Agent Gibbs." He intertwined his fingers. "But you can call me Ren." Kate opened her mouth to speak again, but Ren interrupted her. "And let me guess, your next question is why I am doing this. Well, it's simple really. Special Agent Gibbs ruined my life. And now, I'm going to ruin his." He glanced up at Kate. "You know, it really is a shame you got caught up in all of this, Kate. You should've stayed at the secret service."

Kate raised an eyebrow. _How did he know so much about her?_ She wondered. Her face still stung, but the urge to cry had gone away. She glanced down at the food in her lap and her stomach growled.

"So," Ren said. "You want help eating that food now?" His expression was smug and cocky. Kate was disgusted. But she _was_ hungry. She nodded reluctantly and he stood up. Ren placed one hand on her knee and one on the food in her lap. He kept his hand there for an extra minute before grabbing the food. He unwrapped the sandwich and held it up to her face.

The sandwich was cold and tough. Kate couldn't tell what she was eating, but she really didn't have much choice. After taking a sip of water, Ren brought the sandwich up to her face again. She slowly brought her mouth to it, but instead of focusing on biting the sandwich, she focused on the fingers on the other side. She opened her mouth, but this time went beyond the food and clamped down on Ren's fingers. He cursed out as blood dripped from is finger. He brought them to his mouth.

"Bitch!" Ren brought his foot right to Kate's midsection. Her cry out in pain seemed to please him. Next, he brought his fist back and threw it forward, connecting with Kate's head. She flew back, hitting the pole directly behind her. The last thing she saw was Ren going to the door before she passed out again.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The minute his car pulled up to Kate's address, Gibbs flung the door open, almost forgetting to turn the ignition off. Tony was following, trying to keep up with his fast-paced boss. Once they reached the elevator, Tony broke the silence.

"At least I finally get to see Kate's apartment!" Tony said giddily. Gibbs glared at him with the famous Gibbs stare. Tony immediately realized the error in his statement and tried to revise his mistake. "Of course, not under the circumstances. I mean-"

Tony didn't even get to finish because the ding of the elevator bell cut him off. Gibbs dashed out and headed toward Kate's apartment which was the 4th door on the left. Her door was cracked open slightly; Gibbs and DiNozzo immediately pulled out their firearms. They nodded to each other, and Gibbs slightly pushed the door open some more. He slipped through the crack, clearing the room before Tony entered. Tony then took off to clear the rest of the house. The bathroom, guest room, and Kate's bedroom were cleared before the two relaxed and put their guns back in their holsters.

Gibbs sighed. "There has to be something here." He inspected Kate's room looking for any inconsistencies. His eyes were drawn to the shiny metal on the carpet. The keys jingled as Gibbs picked them up, and he stared at them as he was crouched.

"I'm assuming those are Kate's?" Tony said. Gibbs didn't bother to answer DiNozzo, even though it was more of a statement and less of a question. He pulled out an evidence baggie and dropped the keys inside, securing the seal. "Look around." Gibbs ordered Tony. "Look for anything that might tell us what happened here." He paused. "Or where Kate went."

Tony exited the room with a quick nod. Gibbs surveyed the rest of the room. Nothing looked out of place. The room was neat and clean, just as he would've suspect Kate's home to be. There was a picture of Kate and the president on her mantle. He stared at it and slightly smiled until Tony's holler interrupted him.

"Boss! I think we've got something here."

Swiftly entering the hallway, he headed toward the front door where Tony was standing. Before Gibbs could even ask what the agent had found, he noticed his hand pointing to a small paper on the back of the door. "This mean anything to you, Gibbs?"

The piece of paper was a yellow post-it, sticking to the back of Kate's white front door. There was a smiley face in the center of the paper, scribbled in blue ink. The ends of the smile were curved up, and the eyes were big and wide. Gibbs' eyes widened when he saw this. Tony's hand reached up to grab the post-it, but Gibbs quickly swat it away. "It's evidence DiNozzo." He threw a pair at gloves at Tony.

"Right. Sorry boss." The gloves gave a snap as they hit Tony's skin. He carefully peeled the post-it off of the door and studied it. Then he dropped it into an evidence bag. "There's nothing else here." Tony noticed the distant look on his boss' face and stopped for a moment. "Do you know what this means Gibbs?" he gestured toward the baggie with the post-it.

Gibbs sighed. "Yeah, yeah I do DiNozzo. And it's not good." He knew what had happened to Kate, and he knew who had done it. Gibbs just hoped that he could find her before she gets hurt.

**I know the chapters are short but they will get longer I promise! It is just really to divide the scenes. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kate had not seen her captor since he had knocked her out, but she knew he must've returned because her legs were now tied to the chair. Her head was pounding and it hurt her to breathe. It was quite possible Ren had broken a rib or two with his blow to the stomach. The pain and swelling in her nose suggested that it too may be broken. Once more Kate fought against the ropes that attached her to the chair. Nothing. She needed to get out of here and she needed to now. Ren would be back soon and angrier than ever. There had to be a way to get off of this chair before he came. She struggled some more, even though it was useless. The knots were too tight.

All of the struggling brought the dizziness back to her head. She tried to relax, but was still really tense. Her arms were burnt from the ropes against her skin. Of course, it didn't help when she heard the sound of the door being unbolted. She turned her head quickly, hoping to devise a plan. Again, nothing came to mind.

Ren entered the room carrying a smug look on his face. "I see the princess has woken up from her beauty sleep." He smirked and crouched down beside her. He cupped his hand around her chin before she shook it away. "Be nice." He grabbed her face once again and inspected her wound. "I'm sure that hurts. You shouldn't have bit me, Agent Todd." He traced the bite mark with his fingers. "I told you. I make the rules around here. Not you."

"I don't play by the rules or criminals." Kate said firmly. Ren laughed again and stood up straight. He walked to the work bench directly behind Kate. She couldn't see what he was doing, but she heard the clang of metal. She heard more footsteps and cringed when she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"We'll see about that." He whispered in her ear. All of a sudden there was a knife at her throat. The cool metal felt good against her hot skin. "I wouldn't want to have to use this knife." He traced her throat with the tip of the knife as he talked. The knife fell to her shoulders and she traced down to the center of her torso. Kate stiffened.

Ren started to walk back to the bench, but he turned around. "Oh, and just to let you know that I'm serious," he brought the knife back to her, but this time went to her chest. He sliced straight across the top of her chest. Kate winced with pain. The cut wasn't deep; the blood dripped from the cut onto her shirt. Her breathing became heavier. Ren noticed and laughed.

"Careful Kate." He teased. He flaunted the nice in front of her face. "Wouldn't want to have to demonstrate again." He smiled and walked back toward the bench. "Besides," He brought a laptop and small table in front of the brunette. He set the laptop down and set a webcam on top. "I wouldn't want you to look bad for your movie debut."

Kate flashed him a confused look. "What the hell are you talking about?" She yelled. "What's the camera for."

Ren was behind her again, this time holding a cloth in front of her face. His tone was serious. "Open your mouth Agent Todd." Kate pressed her lips together. "I thought you might be difficult." He lowered the cloth so it was even with her neck. The cloth whipped back, tightening around her throat. Kate couldn't breathe. She was struggling against the cloth and the knots. "Now, are you going to be a good agent and open your mouth?" Kate resisted a little more, but nodded reluctantly. The cloth fell from her neck; her breathing was labored. Once again the cloth was at her mouth, pulling against her teeth. Show opened her mouth slightly, and the cloth pulled back immediately.

"You're gonna get to say hello to the folks back home." He walked back to the computer and started typing. "Back at NCIS I mean." He went over and pulled the curtains on two of the windows. "Now be good Agent Todd, and I just might let you say 'Hi!"

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	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Petty Officer Ren Myers?" McGee asked as he typed in the name. "Who is he?"

"I worked a case about 5 years back. Ren Myers was the perp." Gibbs answered, waiting for the information to pop up on the plasma.

"I remember him." Tony said when the picture finally appeared. "What did he do again?"

"Raped and Murdered a Lieutenant on her way home. Drew a smiley face on her forehead."

"Some calling card." Tony interrupted. "We think Kate is with this guy?"

"No DiNozzo." Gibbs spat back. "We don't think. We know."

"Recently parolled, Boss." McGee informed them. "Was sentenced to 7-10 years. Got out early for good behavior."

"Yeah. Good behavior my—" Gibbs started but was interrupted.

"Is there any chance this isn't our guy?" Tony asked. "I mean, he just got out of jail. Is he really gonna risk it by kidnapping a federal agent? Besides, what's he got against Kate?"

"Kate's not the target." Gibbs stated. "I am. I put him a way. He's had a grudge against me since they put him in that cell." McGee's phone rang as Gibbs stared at the picture of the ex-petty officer.

"McGee" he said into the phone. He glanced up at Gibbs. "Sure director, I'll tell him. Yes sir." McGee hung up the phone. "Boss. That was Director Morrow. Needs you up in MTAC. Right away." Gibbs threw his coffee in the trash bin as he headed toward the stairs. "DiNozzo!" He yelled.

Tony jogged to catch up with him. "On your six, boss."

Up in MTAC, the director was standing in front of the huge screen. "You wanted to see me sir?" Gibbs walked directly up to him with DiNozzo right behind.

"Yes. There is a call trying to come into MTAC…for you."

"A video call? From who?"

"Well, that's just it." The Director stated. "It's blocked."

"I know who it is. Accept the call." Gibbs said. The screen went blank for a minute as one of the workers accepted the call. A picture materialized. All Gibbs could see was a dark room. There was a figure in front of them, but the room was too dark to see who or what it was.

There was a flicker of light and the room became brighter. Gibbs could finally make out the figure. It was…

"Kate." Gibbs acknowledged. He walked closer to the screen. Another flicker of light. The room was illuminated. Kate was tied to a chair connected to a poll. There was a gag in her mouth and she gazed toward the section where the light was coming from. "My god." He whispered.

"Can she hear us?" Tony spoke up, still surprised from seeing his partner tied up. As soon as he said it, Kate's head turned toward the camera. Her eyes widened as she struggled against the ropes. "Guess so."

"Kate! Kate you alright?" Gibbs yelled at the screen. There were bruises on her face and blood on her shirt.

"No Agent Gibbs. I'm afraid she's not." The man speaking was not in view of the camera, but Gibbs didn't need to see who it was. "I assume you saw my note?"

"Ren Myers."

"Very good, Jethro." Gibbs tensed. "Or do you prefer Agent Gibbs?"

"I prefer a bullet through your head, actually." Gibbs spat back. Ren laughed. He had been behind Kate. He walked toward her now and stood behind her. His face was level with the camera as he bent over.

"Same old Gibbs. And is that DiNozzo I see back there?" DiNozzo stepped up to join Gibbs and the Director. "You two still working together? Well, it's a pleasure to see both of you again. And I see you have a new member on your team." He rested his hand on her shoulder and Kate flinched.

"What do you want with her Myers?" Anger filled Gibbs' eyes.

"You see Gibbs, Kate really has nothing to do with this. In fact, it's your fault she's here." Ren replied.

"You want me?" Gibbs shouted. "Fine. Let Kate go you. You and I, we'll have a talk. Just the two of us."

Ren chuckled again. "If only it was that simple Gibbs. See I don't want to hurt Agent Todd…well, at least anymore than I already have." He grinned again. Tony's stomach churned. "So, why don't we play a little game? Hmm?"

"I don't play games Myers." Gibbs' tone was angry and full of fury. He wanted this bastard dead.

"Well that's too bad Agent Gibbs, because the prize for winning is your fine agent right here." He played with Kate's hair. Kate moved away from him. Gibbs only got angrier. "But if you would like to forfeit…" Myers started.

"Okay. I'll play you're game." Gibbs said. Ren smiled again.

"Good choice agent Gibbs. But, just a warning, my game has rules. I will give you your agent back, _if_ you can find her."

"That's it?" Tony asked.

"That's it Agent DiNozzo. Oh, and there is one condition. You have to find her in 48 hours, or she won't be breathing when you eventually do." Gibbs balled his hands into fists.

"You don't touch her. You hear me Myers?"

"Relax Agent Gibbs. You have 48 hours until she's dead…but let's make it a little more interesting shall we?" He looked at Kate while he said this, stroking the back of her head with his hand. "If you don't find her after 24 hours, well let's just say _Kate_ and _I_ are going to play a little game right here." His face was inches away from Kate's cheek. She was breathing heavy and wincing every time he touched her.

"Myers! I swear to God if you touch her, I'll put a bullet in your head myself." Ren laughed again, making Gibbs even angrier.

"I didn't say I played fair." The smug look had returned to his face. "Oh, and one last thing. The 48 hours started when I took her this morning. So…I say you have about 18 hours until Kate and I play our first game." With that he yanked Kate's head back. She squealed out in pain. Gibbs winced at the sound of her cries. Ren brought a knife to her throat. "Clock's ticking Agent Gibbs."

The screen went black. Everyone in the room was silent for a moment until Gibbs finally broke the silence. "Can you trace that call!" He yelled at one of the technicians. The technician stared at him. "Well!"

"Umm-uh. No Special Agent Gibbs. I can't. It's untraceable. You see he went through a series of—" the technician tried to explain, but he didn't care. All he could think about was Kate. The fear in her eyes when Ren touched her. It hurt Gibbs to even think about it. He stormed out of MTAC and down the stairs. I ran right over to McGee's desk making the special agent jump.

"McGee!" He yelled. "A video call just came into MTAC. See if you can trace it." Gibbs turned around and headed for the elevator.

"Umm…sure boss. What's going on!" McGee called after him. Gibbs didn't even glance back at him. Tony entered the squad room as soon as Gibbs stepped into the elevator. "Tony. What's happening? Why is Gibbs so riled up?"

"Myers has Kate, Probie." He said solemnly. "And if we can't find her in…" he looked at his watch. "Oh, in about 42 hours, he's going to kill her." McGee stared at DiNozzo with his mouth hanging open. "Can you trace the call?"

"The—umm. I…" McGee stuttered.

"The call! Probie!" Tony yelled at him.

"I can try…hold on one second here." McGee began typing furiously on his keyboard. His eyes glued to the monitor. "Damn it!" he yelled. Then he sighed. "The call is untraceable, Tony. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Tony said gruffly. He grabbed his sig and headed for the elevator. "I'm going to go check out Myers' apartment!" Tony yelled over his shoulder.

"Alone!" McGee called after him.

"No, Probie. You're coming with me." The elevator dinged and McGee quickly grabbed his gun and dashed for the elevator.

Gibbs had gone out to get more coffee. There was no way he would be able to find Kate without his caffeine. On his way back to the office, he stopped by Kate's apartment. It wasn't really on the way, but he wanted to see if he had missed anything. He entered through the door and looked around. There was a picture on the table next to the door. Gibbs picked it up. It was of him and Kate on Air Force I. It was the first time they had met. That was almost a year ago. Gibbs sighed.

"I will find you Kate." He whispered. "I promise."

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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Ren shut the camera off with a small remote and released Kate's hair. The gag was still in her mouth, so she could not curse at him, although she had the greatest urge. Instead, she gave him the dirtiest look as he shut the laptop and moved the table out of sight. He turned back to Kate and paused.

"What?" he said. "Scared I'm going to hurt you?" He made a pouty face, making her seem like a child. She hated it when people undermined her. Especially when it was because she is a woman. Kate stuck her chin up at him in disgust. He started to walk behind her. "I'll remove the gag if you promise to be good." He untied the cloth and she immediately spit it out. Ren laughed again.

"You aren't going to win you know." Kate said calmly. "They'll find you and probably kill you."

"True." Ren agreed. "But, will it be before or after you're dead?" He waved the knife in front of his face.

"Gibbs will find me." She said firmly. But the truth was, she _hoped_ it was true. There was no telling if the team would actually find her in time. Staying alive didn't matter as much to her as killing Ren did. She wanted him dead and knew Gibbs did too.

"Maybe he will." Ren's interruption broke up her thoughts. He crouched next to her again. "But I do hope we have time to play out game." He smiled and winked at her. His hand was on her knee; she tried to shake it off but it did no good. He kept it firm and in place. Kate felt a squeeze before he finally got up and walked back to the work bench. "But that's for later. Right now, I think you should get some sleep." He walked back in front of her holding a needle.

Kate's eyes widened again. He was going for her neck; she tried to squirm away from him but it didn't work. He wore another sly smile on his face as he injected her with whatever liquid was in the syringe. It was fast acting too because she started to feel woozy immediately.

"Sleep tight Agent Todd. I promise we will get to play when you awake." Those were the last words she heard before she fell unconscious.

**Okay, I know. Sorry. REALLY short chapter. Probably could've combined and added line break, but I didn't. So sorry. Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

14 hours later at NCIS, the team had hit a brick wall. They had searched Myers' home, looked at his bank statements, interrogated his ex-girlfriend, interviewed his parole officer, and even talked to his old cell mates. None of these things brought them any closer to finding out where Kate was.

"You're telling me that there is no way to find out where that bastard is keeping her!" Gibbs yelled at his team. McGee and Tony were sitting at their desks; they had run out of ideas. Abby was standing in the middle of the squad room staring at Kate's desk. She was worried about her best friend. "Abbs….Abby!"

"Oh…yes Gibbs?" the Goth scientists answered after a pause.

"Are you sure you couldn't find anything on that post-it note that Myers' left?"

"No. There are no traces of anything. No fingerprints, dirt…wait the ink!" Abby squealed. She ran over to Gibbs' desk where the post-it note was. "The ink…I didn't recognize it. It wasn't common, like the pens we have around the office. It was…different. If it's as rare as I think it is, I might be able to tell what company uses it."

"You can do that…with _ink_?" Gibbs questioned.

"You'd be amazed what I can do." Abby quickly ran toward the elevator.

"Abbs!" He called after her.

"4 hours Gibbs! I know!"

"McGee! Where are we on Myers' bank statements?"

"Still filing through it boss. There are a lot of transactions here. So far, it doesn't seem like he owns any other property. But, I'm still looking." He explained.

"Well look faster, McGee. We have four hours until…"

"Yeah boss. Yeah I know."

Gibbs glimpsed at Kate's desk and his heart thumped. He wouldn't let anything happen to Kate. If something did…he just…he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Again he looked up, this time at McGee and DiNozzo. McGee was furiously typing away, going through Ren Myers' documents and DiNozzo was on the phone with an old cell mate of Myers'. He surveyed the room once more.

"We're missing something." He said this just above a whisper.

"What did you say boss?" McGee looked at him curiously. He had stopped typing now and was studying Gibbs' face.

"I said we are missing something McGee. Meyers likes to play games. He wants us to find him. He wants me face to face. There has got to be something here that tells us where he is keeping Kate."

By now Gibbs had moved to McGee's desk. His hand rested on the edge and he was looking over McGee's shoulder. "Anything yet?"

"'Fraid not. This guy has a lot of records. It could take hours to sort through them all."

"You have 3 McGee. Keep it up." DiNozzo hung up the phone just as he said that.

"The cell mates weren't any help Gibbs. Said Myers was revenge crazy. Talked about the man who put him in jail a lot. Said he was going to get back at him, never said how." DiNozzo informed him.

"Anything we don't already know, DiNozzo?" Gibbs and DiNozzo stood face to face. Tony could sense the impatient look in Gibbs' eyes.

"No boss. Nothing that could help us find Kate."

"Abby's our last hope then. Let's hope she can analyze that ink."

*10 minutes away from reaching their 24 hour period.*

"We are out of time, Abbs! You're telling me you have nothing!" Gibbs was yelling at Abby who was analyzing the ink used to draw the smiley face.

"I'm sorry Gibbs! I'm working as fast as I can." She was typing away furiously.

"It doesn't matter. We are out of time!"

"Boss!" Tony ran in.

"What!" there was so much anger in his voice.

"Umm…there is a call for you. In MTAC." Tony's expression was solemn.

Gibbs stared at him. He brushed past him and hit the elevator button. Hard. He ran up to MTAC. The director was there once again. For the most part, Director Morrow had stayed out of Agent Gibbs' way. He knew the delicacy of the situation. Gibbs stormed into MTAC, whipping the door back.

"Myers?" He looked at the director.

"Yes." There was graveness in his voice. They both turned their attention to the screen in front of them. An image pixilated. Again they saw Kate sitting in the chair. The only difference was her mouth wasn't bound this time.

"Time's up Agent Gibbs." It was Myers' voice. But Gibbs ignored it.

"Kate, you alright?" There didn't seem to be any knew imperfections on her face, and there were no more cuts on her areas of exposed skin. She nodded furiously.

"I'm fine Gibbs. Just…uncomfortable."

"Shut up!" They heard Ren's voice before they saw him. His back was to the camera. His hand came back and whipped across Kate's face. She cried out in pain. It took everything Gibbs had not to jump through the screen. He had to save her from this monster.

"We are coming to get you Kate!" He exclaimed. "Just hold on."

"It's too late. You're 24 hour time limit has just expired." Ren had another smile on his face. Gibbs hated it when he smiled. But he hesitated.

"We have people heading to your location right now Myers! It's over!" Gibbs bit his tongue. He didn't want Myers to tell he was lying. Ren Myers stared into the camera. That same smug smile came over his face.

"No you don't Agent Gibbs. Nice try. But your time is up." He walked behind Kate and crouched. He cupped his hand around her chin. "Now we are gonna play a little game. Aren't we Agent Todd." He nodded her head for her. She tried to shake him off but his grip was hard.

"Don't you touch her Meyers!" Gibbs' face was turning beat red.

"I already told you Agent Gibbs. This is my game; we play by my rules, not yours. I gave you 24 hours, and you failed." He stroked the back of Kate's head again. "Now poor Agent Todd must pay the price." She winced again.

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" Kate cried out for help.

"Say goodbye Agent Gibbs." He waved a petty wave.

"Myers! Myers!" But no one responded. The screen went black. The last thing Gibbs saw was Kate's desperate look on her face and the fear in her eyes.

**(About the bank statements and stuff guys, yeah I was going somewhere with that but decided to go in a separate direction. So ignore them and REVIEW!) **


	9. Chapter 9

**WARNING: May contain rape and sexual assault. If you are not comfortable with that, stop reading here. **

**Chapter 9**

The camera switched off and the picture of Gibbs disappeared. Fear spread throughout Kate's body. She started to panic. There was no doubt in her mind that Myers was serious when he said they would play a "game." Something told Kate that it wasn't the kind of game she wanted to take part in. Myers moved the table away from her and then went behind her once again. She heard a drawer open and close. He came up behind her again, and she could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck. The knife came to her throat.

"You try to run and you're dead." Ren whispered in her ear. She felt the ropes tug against her body. He was untying them…or cutting them; she couldn't tell which. Kate was perfectly still as he released her hands and moved onto her feet. The knife came away from her throat and he rested his hand in her lap.

When her feet were free, Ren held the knife parallel to Kate's head. "Stand up." His tone was firm and serious. Kate stood up slowly and didn't say a word. He grabbed her left arm with his and turned so that he was behind her with the knife to her throat. "Walk."

He guided her to the door on the right and pushed her inside. Kate looked around the room. There were a few windows toward the ceiling and another pole in the room. Her eyes shifted from the pole to the floor where she saw it. She saw the mattress. Immediately Kate gasped. She spun around and dashed toward the door, but Ren caught her.

"Oh. You're not going anywhere." He wrapped his arms around her tight. Their faces were close, and he once again had a smug smile on his face. Kate fought against him. She hit his chest with her hands, but nothing happened.

She finally had the idea. He was still struggling to back her up, so she brought her foot up and kicked him right in the crotch. He fell to the floor, doubled over in pain. Kate ran out into the main room. She started for the door, but Ren caught her. His arms were wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. She screamed.

"No! Please. Let me go! Please!" She plead for help. Ren just laughed at her.

"You're not finding your way out of this. And you'll pay for what you did in there." She tried to kick him again, but his legs were closed. Her arms were locked in place. Kate couldn't move. Her voice was getting hoarse already from screaming. Ren shook his head as he pulled her back to the room. "No one can hear you." He sang.

Once in the room, he grabbed Kate harder and threw her on the mattress. Before she could get herself together, he was on top of her. She was wiggling under him, clawing and hitting. All he did was laugh at her. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. Kate's legs were flailing and she was screaming.

"I love a good fighter." He teased. Her hands were wriggling out of his grasp, so he strengthened his grip. There was immense pressure from where Ren was sitting.

He brought his face right above hers and shot down. His lips connected with hers, though her mouth was closed. The kiss was wet and slobbery. Kate felt Ren's tongue slide against her lips; she wanted to throw up. His lips moved to her throat. He bit the side of her neck.

Kate was practically crying on the mattress. She just kept saying "Please! Don't! No!" But Ren didn't care. He lifted his head from her neck and looked down at her like she was some pathetic little girl.

"I was going to make this quick." He leaned over so her ear was right next his mouth. He whispered. "But thanks to your little stunt over there, I think I'll take this nice and slow." He sat back up. "Oh. And one more thing…" There was a little remote in his back pocket, like the one he used for the webcam, but smaller. He pressed a button and a light went on in the corner. A little red light. It took a minute for Kate to realize that it was on a camcorder setup on a tripod.

"I want Agent Gibbs to know what he caused. Incase he doesn't make his second deadline." Ren winked at Kate before leaning over again. He brought his mouth to her ear once more. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Kate had been still for the last minute, but she tried once more to escape the horrid room. Ren took the hand that wasn't holding down Kate's arms and traced around her breasts and chests. Kate's blood chilled when he touched her. Ren traced his finger to the hem of Kate's shirt, and grabbed it. He ripped it up over her head, blocking her vision.

She struggled against the material until he yanked it all the way over her head. The shirt went up her arms and was thrown to another corner of the room.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't let you miss this." Ren didn't look at Kate when he talked to her. He stared at her chest, now only covered by her black-lace bra. He looked up at Kate's face. "Someone's been naughty, haven't they Agent Todd?" It was not hard to get it off. There was a hook in the front that enabled Ren to yank the bra, exposing Kate's bare chest. He painfully grabbed one of her breasts, and squeezed it hard.

Kate yelped. She was violently flailing her arms and legs. Her arms barely moved but her legs were wild. She kicked him on the back. This angered him.

"Looks like someone needs to be taught some manners!" He slid further back on her so that he was sitting right above her knees. His hands slid down her body to the side of her pants. He moved them up to the buttons and started to unbutton them.

"No!" Kate screamed. "No! Please! Don't do this! Help!"

S he was kicking her legs trying to prevent him from sliding her pants off. Ren fumbled with the buttons, but managed to undo them. He grabbed the top of her pants and yanked downward. It didn't get him far, but they inched down. Ren had to reposition himself.

Holding her arms in place, Ren stood up bent over and stepped to one side of the mattress. Kate lifted her legs up, but they were kicked down. He released Kate's arms and sat back on her torso, except he was facing the other way. With her newly freed arms, they pounded on Ren's back. She scratched and clawed, but he didn't even flinch. There was no way she could escape his heavy body.

Simultaneously, Kate's legs were moving crazy, but she couldn't stop what he was doing. Her pants were close to her knees. It only took a few more seconds before he jerked the pants off. He moved onto her underwear, spreading his hands over her inner thighs up to her delicate undergarment. They came off easily, with one hard tug. He threw them with her pants to another corner of the room.

Kate was completely naked and humiliated, but she was determined not to give up. She fought against him as hard as possible. Ren was fuming now. He was tired of the fight that had excited him in the beginning.

"That's it." He balled up his fist, and punched Kate right in her broken nose. Her head flew back and she was doubled over in pain. She never even noticed that Ren had left the room until it was too late. He dashed back in slamming the door after his entrance. There was a rope in his left and a knife in his right. Kate looked up and rolled back over, onto her back. This just made it easier for Ren to sit back on top of her.

He brought the rope back up to her wrists. She noticed and flung her wrist up at his face, getting him right in the eye. His hand covered his injured eye.

"Bitch! That's it." He grabbed her wrist and snapped it back. Kate screamed out in pain. The bone had snapped. Immediately, Ren tied the rope around her injured wrist. As much as she tried to avoid it, tears were rolling down Kate's cheeks. She was practically sobbing. The rope rapped around her other wrist and he slipped it under the mattress. He brought the rope to her ankle and tied it quickly because Kate had temporarily stopped kicking. Ren spread her legs apart, tucked the rope under the mattress and around her second ankle.

The rope under the mattress prevented her from shutting her legs. Kate was eagle-tied to the mattress and couldn't move. Now, struggling would be useless. As he climbed on top of her, she turned her head to the side and shut her eyes tight. There was a zipping sound as Ren grabbed her face. He turned her head back straight.

"Open your eyes." He waited, but she did not respond. Her face was released, but not long after Ren slapped her across the face. She yelped again. "Open your eyes!" He growled. His frustration had grown and was no longer interested in playing games. This time, she did not refuse. She slowly opened her eyes to meet his. "Good girl. I want your eyes open. I want you to watch."

Kate had failed to notice that Ren had his package out. She watched as he slid down her legs so he was at the perfect angle. One moment he was on top of her, the next he was inside her. Kate bit her lip. She wished she had her gun; she'd put a bullet straight through his head. But she didn't. She was alone. Gibbs. He was the first person to come to her mind. She wanted Gibbs to come and save her. She wanted anyone to save her.

His stomach was slapping against hers. His face was a mix between evil and smug. He stared at her, and deep into her eyes. It felt like he was staring deep into Kate's soul. Only her eyes were filled with fear and humiliation, despair and anguish. Ren knew that, and he used that against her.

It was impossible to tell how long they were in that room. Maybe it was hours, but to Kate, it felt like days. She didn't fight anymore; she didn't scream; she didn't try to escape. She just lied there. Giving up was something Kate never did, but there was nothing else for her to do. Ren had complete control over her. Yet, all she could think was _I hope Gibbs finds me soon._

**Hope I did an okay job with that. Review and tell me your thoughts. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

DiNozzo was passed out in his desk chair, as was McGee, his jacket serving as a blanket. Gibbs woke abruptly at his desk. The team had been working nonstop for the past 39 hours, desperately trying to find Kate. And no matter how much coffee Gibbs drank, everyone had to sleep at some point. He walked over to the window and sighed. Abby had found the company that made the pens Meyer's used, and they even found the outlet that sold it to him. The downside was that they still had no way of knowing where in that area Meyers was or if he was even in that area.

DiNozzo and McGee were _still_ filing through his records, and they were nearing the end. They were running out of options, and Kate was running out of time. It was raining outside, and there was no sign of the sun shining any time soon. Gibbs was just about to head back to his desk when he noticed Director Morrow gesturing to him from the upper level. He headed for the stairs and finally reached MTAC. The director stopped him before entering.

"There is another call from our kidnapper." Gibbs tensed. "Easy Jethro. I need you to stay as calm as possible, you hear me?"

"Yes sir." Gibbs agreed and quickly entered MTAC. He walked down the decline straight up to the screen. Expecting to see Kate, Gibbs was surprised and slightly worried when he saw Ren Myers. "Where's Kate?" Gibbs said immediately.

"Nice to see you too Agent Gibbs." Ren responded, with a look of mock hurt on his face.

"Where's Kate?" he repeated sternly. Myers sighed.

"She's…she's around here somewhere."

"Myers, let me talk to Kate, or deal's off."

"I'm sure Agent Todd will be so sad to hear that." Ren responded. "But, if you would like to tell her yourself that you aren't coming—" He cut himself off because turned the camera to face Kate slumped over in a chair. Her clothes were messed up and her hair in knots.

"Kate!" Gibbs yelled at the screen. The body stirred before lifting her head. He could see her tear streaked face and swollen nose. Her eyes were read to match her cheeks.

"Gibbs?" Kate's voice was hoarse and low. "Oh Gibbs. Please hurry. Please." She fell into a sob before the camera turned again.

"Well Agent Gibbs, you coming soon? Poor Kate is getting worried."

"I'll be there in time." Gibbs stated.

"I can't wait!" Ren's face brightened. "But that's not the only reason why I'm calling. I have a present for you Gibbs!" He did some typing before a link appeared on the bottom of the screen. "Enjoy! Oh, and remember. Clock's ticking!" The screen went black again. Gibbs walked over to the computers.

"What is that?" Director Morrow asked one of the technicians.

"It's a video file." The woman said. "I'll pull it up" She did some typing and a video appeared on the screen. There was a room shown with a mattress in the center. A woman and man were on the mattress. Kate and Ren. She was screaming her head off and pleading with him; he was pressing down on her, hard.

"Oh God." Director Morrow and Gibbs were both speechless. The watched the screen for another second before Gibbs exploded.

"Turn it off!" He yelled at the technician and she hesitated. "Now!" She quickly took it away. "No one else has to see this." Gibbs walked to the director.

"Jethro, I know how you must feel, but this is evidence and—" Gibbs cut him off.

"Please." Gibbs said. "For Kate."

The director looked solemn. "I'll see what I can do." Gibbs nodded and stormed out. He ran down the stairs and into the squad room. His agents were still sleeping.

"DiNozzo! McGee!" Gibbs screamed. They both woke, startled. "Finish going over those statements, now!" Both the agents looked at each other

"What's going on boss?" DiNozzo questioned. Gibbs sighed.

"Myers just called into MTAC. He-he sent a video." They were still confused.

"Umm…boss? A video?" McGee asked suspiciously.

"Yeah McGee. A video. Why?"

"Well, I wonder…I mean it's worth a shot." Gibbs walked over to McGee's desk.

"What is McGee!" Gibbs asked.

"Maybe, there is a chance that he didn't block it. I think I can trace it."

"You _think_ McGee?"

"Give me one second here…" McGee typed furiously on his keyboard. His face lit up. "I can trace it boss. I just need a few minutes." He immediately started to type away again. Several minutes later, McGee shot up. Gibbs, now at his desk, stood up too. "Boss. I-I got it." He exhaled. "I found him. I mean Myers. He's in Norfolk."

"Norfolk? We need to go now. It will take a while to get there." DiNozzo started to grab his gear when Gibbs looked up and saw the director, waving at him again. Gibbs grabbed his gun, closed his drawer and headed for the stairs. The director met him halfway.

"We got a fix on where Myers is keeping Kate. He's in—" Gibbs started.

"Norfolk." The director finished. "A chopper is waiting for you on the roof."

Gibbs stared at him. "Thank you sir." The director nodded and Gibbs dashed back down the stairs. He checked his watch. 41 hours. There were 7 hours left in Myers' game. They could make it. Hopefully Kate was still alive when they did.

**R-E-V-I-E-W**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Kate sat slumped over in her usual chair. The ropes were around her once again, tight as ever. After Ren raped her, she had stopped struggling as much. Her wrist still throbbed since he had broken it. Sometimes she felt like she was at her breaking point. But no. She had to stay strong. For Gibbs. Whether he made it or not, she would not let him know that she gave up. Fighting was something she was good at, and fighting for her life was something she would have to do. She sat up straighter in her chair; Ren noticed her movement.

"Ah. Feeling a little tougher, are we now?" She glared at him.

"You can't win you know." Her voice was still hoarse from yelling. "Even if you kill me, even if you kill Gibbs, you can't win. Because someone will eventually kill you. And on that day, the sun will shine and the world will be a better place." Ren did not respond, but he did not smile either. But Kate did. She felt accomplish because she finally wiped the smile off his smug face. Just then, there was a crash followed by a bang above them. Ren jumped up.

"Looks like they found you Agent Todd. Maybe you'll even get to go home today. Maybe." He grabbed his knife and started cutting through the ropes. "But, only if you behave." He released her legs first and then her arms and the rest of her body. He pulled a gun out of his back pocket; a gun Kate had never seen before. He grabbed her by the arms again and pulled her toward him. Ren put the gun on her right temple and held Kate closer. His breathing was heavy on the back of her neck. And as the noise from up stairs came closer, Kate could feel Ren becoming tenser. The lock on the other side of the door slid out of place. The door scraped open quickly, and Gibbs and McGee entered the room. McGee poked his head into the room on the right while Gibbs stood in front of Ren and Kate.

"Myers!" Gibbs yelled. "Let her go and put the weapon down." He readjusted his firearm. Ren positioned Kate so that she blocked most of his body. Neither Gibbs nor McGee had a shot.

"Mmm…Don't think I can do that Agent Gibbs. At least not yet. By the way, did you like your present?" He was referring to the video recording of Kate's rape. He smiled again. Fury filled Gibbs' eyes. "I thought you might like it."

"Let her go Meyers. Let her go and I will stay. Just the two of us." Gibbs was trying to convince him to be alone with Gibbs.

"Let me ask you Gibbs. You want to save her, true? Well what would you do to make sure she's safe?" Gibbs paused for a moment.

"Whatever it takes."

The words sent chills down Kate's spine. She stared at him, into his eyes. His eyes told her that he spoke the truth. He would do whatever it took to ensure her safe return.

"Drop your weapon." Ren broke the silence. "Do it! Now." Gibbs hesitated. Kate knew the minute Gibbs and McGee surrendered, Ren would be in control. And once Ren was in control, there was no need for Kate to be around anymore. In the heat of the moment, Kate grabbed the gun in Ren's hand.

He grunted as they struggled. She prevented him from pulling the trigger, but he would not loosen his grip on the weapon. Gibbs still didn't have a shot. They raised the gun in the air, and a shot rang out. Only, the shot wasn't from Ren's gun; it was from someone outside the window. The bullet soared, breaking the glass and colliding with Ren. He collapsed, followed by Kate, who was lying on top of his chest.

Ren was dead. Kate was covered in blood, but she had no wounds. There was a shuffle of footsteps coming from behind her. Someone kicked Ren's gun away.

"Kate! Kate!" Gibbs was hollering at her. He crouched down next to her.

"I'm ok." She managed to say. "The blood is all his." She sat up away from the dead body. Gibbs' hand was on her shoulder. He looked at her for a moment. It took a minute before she could look at his face. Tears welled in her eyes. Gibbs pulled her into his chest. She didn't want to cry in front of him, but the tears rolled down her eyes. Kate exhaled. Gibbs just held her in his arms. He vowed he would keep her safe.

Back outside, Kate rapped Gibbs' NCIS jacket around her. It was pretty cold out and the ground was wet. She walked down the steps of the house onto the walk way. There she saw Tony. He was standing by the shattered window; his shirt was dirty like he had been lying on the ground.

"Well, well. Look who finally showed up. Don't I get a thank you?" Tony smirked at Kate. It was obvious that he was the one who had shot Ren.

"Thank you Tony." Her tone was soft and serious. "Seriously. Thank you." They stood about a foot apart, and the looked deep into each other's eyes.

"Anytime."

Just as the two finished their conversation, the sun broke through the clouds. Gibbs came up to the pair. "The sun is out." Kate said. And she smiled to herself. It was over. Her nightmare was over.


	12. Chapter 12

**Alright so instead of stopping after they killed him, I decided to keep going and write about Kate dealing with her rape and kidnapping. Hope it doesn't bore you...it gets better! :) **

**Chapter 12**

The sky had darkened not long after the sun had come out. Night had taken over the sky. What was once a quiet and small house had been surrounded by NCIS trucks, police, and flashing lights. Kate sat on the back of an open truck. She traded in Gibbs' NCIS jacket for a scratchy green blanket. She pulled it tight around her and inspected her wrist. The EMTs had wrapped it up to stabilize it, although she could still feel the pain. Gibbs walked over and joined her on the back of the truck.

"Can I sit here?" He gestured to the empty space next to her on the truck.

"Be my guest." Kate looked off into the distance.

"How are you doing?"

"Getting tired of people asking me how I'm doing." She joked. Kate moved her eyes back to Gibbs. "I'm fine Gibbs." He stared at her not believing a word she had said. "Gibbs. I'm fine, really." Kate held up her left wrist covered by the wrapping. "See. All patched up."

Gibbs gently took her arm and turned it over in his hands. He stared at it for a moment before setting it back in Kate's lap.

"What happened in there Kate?" Gibbs knew she would not want to talk about the events that occurred over the past 48 hours, but she needed to sometime.

"Gibbs I—" Kate started, but was cut off.

"You need to talk about this. I know it's hard, but you have to talk to me. Please." He stared into her eyes. Kate started to explain the events that occurred from the time she was kidnapped up until the time Gibbs found her. But, she left out what had happened after the 24 hour deadline. Of course, Kate had no idea that Gibbs already knew about what had happened in that basement, but he didn't want Kate know this detail.

"Anything else?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow. Kate looked away, staring at a man drinking coffee next to his squad car.

"Yup." There was emptiness in her voice. She did not want to tell Gibbs that Ren Myers had raped her. But something told her that Gibbs already knew.

"You sure he didn't do anything else to you? Did he—did he touch you Kate?" His tone was soft and sympathetic, but curious at the same time. Kate sighed and tears swelled in her eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah Gibbs." She watched as the cop dropped his coffee on the damp pavement. "He sent you it didn't he?" She turned to face him. "The tape. That's what he was talking about. Your "present." Gibbs nodded. Kate exhaled, shakily.

"Did you—" she swallowed the sob building up in her throat. "Did you watch it?"

"No. Only the beginning." She couldn't contain her sob any longer. "Tony or McGee. Did they…?" Her thought wasn't completed. Gibbs shook his head. The tears streamed down her face. There was no hiding it now. Gibbs grabbed her shoulder and pulled Kate into his chest.

It broke his heart to see her crying. Gibbs could save her from Meyers, but he couldn't save her from the pain building up inside of her. Gibbs couldn't return what Meyers had stolen from Kate. And all of it was his fault. He hadn't saved her in time, and now all there was to do was apologize.

"Kate…I want you to know how sorry I am. For all of this." Gibbs cleared his throat. "And if you blame me I—"

"Stop." Kate sat up and hastily wiped tears from her face. The blanket was snug around her. "None of this is your fault. And besides…don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness." Kate expected people to be "gentle" and "sensitive" to her, but Gibbs was the only one she thought wouldn't do that. "I'm still alive. You did your job." She stood up from the back of the truck and almost collapsed. Kate caught herself on the back of the truck with her broken wrist and yelped with pain.

"Alright. You aren't going anywhere. Come on. Sit back down." He grabbed her shoulder but she shrugged him off.

"I'm fine Gibbs. I don't need you feeling sorry for me. Or worrying about me." There was anger in her voice and she didn't care. Kate was mad at Gibbs so much as mad at everyone…including herself. During their struggle, an EMT had walked over to the pair.

"Is there a problem?" the man said, glancing at Gibbs and then Kate. Kate looked at Gibbs.

"No. No problem here." She said. The EMT stood for a moment, looking from Kate to Gibbs before finally turning back to her.

"Miss Todd, we are ready to take you to the hospital now to get checked out."

"I'm fine. I don't need to go to the—"

"Kate." Gibbs said sternly. "You need to get checked out." There was something in his tone that told Kate not to bother refusing. She walked away with the EMT leading the way, and got into the back of the ambulance. The ambulance was unnecessary but "standard procedure."

Just as Kate was riding away, Ducky and Palmer were pulling up in their medical examiners' truck. Ducky hopped out in his navy blue jumpsuit and hat. The two were late as usual, probably because they got lost. Ducky would blame Palmer and Palmer would blame Ducky, but it all ended the same. Gibbs waited to meet his old friend and lead him to the body.

"Jethro. Please. Tell me the body isn't—" Ducky started.

"Meyers." Gibbs finished. He led the doctor into the house and down the cellar stairs. There were many people roaming around the yard and upper levels, but Gibbs had cleared the basement. NCIS special agents only. As Ducky walked down the stairs with his bag in hand, he stopped on the last step.

"Good God. This is where the bastard was keeping Caitlyn?" He surveyed the room. "Why, there's nothing down here. Barely any light." The body was in between the pole Kate had been tied to and the work bench. Meyers was flat on his bag, eyes open and arms scattered. "Who got him?"

"Tony." Gibbs gestured to the agent who was taking pictures around the basement. He had moved onto the workbench, seemingly very sober. The realization had set in; Kate was almost killed. Tony could normally joke about anything, but he couldn't joke about Kate getting hurt. They were partners, and he couldn't deal with it if he lost her. Sure, they got each other's nerves…well, a lot. Most of the time Gibbs had to issue a head slap to shut them up. H

Now he missed Kate yelling at his juvenile jokes and scowling at him from across the squad room. But things would never be the same after this. After some time, they could return to semi-normal. Tony felt awful for having these feelings at all. What kind of person was he if all he could think about was his own life? Kate had gone through the traumatic event, not him. And he wanted her to recover, but not for himself; he wanted her to recover for her sakes.

The workbench had everything from rope and knives to power tools. There were various knives and all as sharp as anything. But none of them seemed like they had been used. That gave Tony some sort of relieved feeling. Even though he knew that Kate was alive and alright, at least he knew that Meyers hadn't used the weapons against her.

Ducky did not need to find the liver temp of Ren Meyers because his time of death was obviously already known. Normally, this would be the time that Ducky would begin telling some story about an event in his life that the crime scene reminded him of, but under the circumstances he did not feel that it was very appropriate. He looked over the body.

"Gun shot wound to the head. Through and through. No other obvious wounds, but I'll know more when we get him back to the lab." Ducky informed them. It wasn't anything they didn't already know.

There wasn't a lot of evidence to gather. They bagged the weapons on the workbench, dusted for fingerprints, and gathered the mattress and rope to take back to the lab. For the most part, they knew what had happened already. All the mysteries had been solved and the victim saved. Now all they had to deal with was filing a report and dealing with the aftermath of this awful day.

**You know the drill. V**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Kate was sitting in a small examination room of the hospital. Once she had arrived, she had been poked, prodded, swabbed, disinfected, inspected, x-rayed, and stuck with more needles than she could count. Now all she had to do was sit and wait. Wait for her test results, wait for someone to come and release her, and wait for this overwhelming sense of fear to go away. Every single time one of the doctors or nurses touched her, she flinched.

Now she looked down at her wrist. The wrapping had been replaced by a clean white cast. It felt pretty rough. She traced the pattern of the tape. Her mind was spinning. There were so many things that she hadn't thought of; Kate had been dealing with the emotional side of being raped. Her anger, sadness, frustration, and numbness. Arriving at the hospital, the medical risk set in. Pregnancy, STIs, internal damage. Of course she had been given the morning after pill and other medication to prevent any diseases, but nothing was certain to work.

"How could this happen?" Kate whispered to herself. She had always been so careful. Never walked around dangerous neighborhoods alone at night, never dated anyone she hadn't done a background on, and always slept with a gun under her pillow. She buried her face in her hands. "This wasn't supposed to happen." The tears were coming again as she spoke.

No. She had to stop. If she started to cry now, she may never stop. Kate sat up and wiped the tears with her sleeve. The doctor was going to walk in any second, and she couldn't let him see her crying. He would probably have her thrown in the psychiatric word. In the middle of her thoughts, the doctor walked in. He was wearing a white lab coat and carrying a silver clipboard.

"Agent Todd. I'm Doctor Ryan." He gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure this is a stupid question to ask you, but how are you doing?"

"I'm fine doctor. I would just really like to get out of here." She responded. There was no use hiding the frustration in her voice. The hospital was the last place she wanted to be right now.

"Well, let's see." He cleared his throat and flipped a page on his clipboard. "The good news is you are not pregnant and you are clear of any STIs." Kate let out a sigh of relief. "Your wrist is fractured and you have two broken ribs. Also a slight concussion, but it should be fine. Now you will have to come back in a few months to make sure everything is okay, but there shouldn't be any other problems." Doctor Ryan put down the clipboard next to Kate and sat down on a stool. She felt incredibly uncomfortable and wished there was more space between them. His nauseating cologne was overwhelming.

"I think we should talk about what happens next. You should really think about talking to someone about what has happened. I know of some great specialists who deal with these types of situations all the time." His tone was gentle and full of pity. Something Kate didn't need or want.

"I don't think so." She said plainly. Jumping off the table, Doctor Ryan stopped her.

"Kate." He held his hand up. "You should really reconsider. I think you need to talk to _someone._ I've dealt with a lot of rape victims and every single one that has gone to therapy has gotten something out of it."

"You know what Doctor Ryan, I'm not like every other patient you have had, and I'm not crazy." She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. "Oh, and I'm not much of a victim either." Down the hallway she could hear the doctor calling her but didn't turn back. The front entrance was right down the hall. Kate was practically sprinting down the hall. She needed to get out of there and fast. All that she wanted was to get home and forget about the past 48 hours. But that would be too easy.

As Kate rounded the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. _Crap. _She thought. For whom else was standing right there but Gibbs. She took a deep breath, tightened the grip on her jacket and walked full force toward him.

"What are you doing here?" Her questioning tone mixed with the frustration she was feeling.

"Here to take you home." He said. "Did you really think I was going to let you take a cab?"

"Still. You didn't have to come get me. I'm fine Gibbs." But he saw right through her pathetic lie. Gibbs decided to play along.

"Well, then I'm saving you 8 bucks." His head gestured toward the door. "Come on." Kate hesitated but rolled her eyes and proceeded through the door.

In Gibbs' car, neither agent talked or even exchanged looks. Although she felt him looking at her frequently, Kate never looked away from the window. They just sat there in silence, staring off into space. And it remained silent until Gibbs started heading in the complete opposite direction or Kate's apartment.

"Gibbs. My apartment is that way." She pointed toward the street that was now disappearing behind them.

"I know." He stated. But he continued driving without any explanation.

"So then where are you taking me? You said you were going to take me home."

"I did, but I never said it was going to be _your_ home." Gibbs smirked.

"Well then, where the hell are you taking me?" Kate was furious. She was not in the mood for this.

"Figured you'd rather not stay at a hotel, and there is no way you are going back to your apartment, so I have a spare bedroom."

"So you're taking me to _your_ place?" She exhaled and shook her head. _Great. No getting away from him now. _

"Unless you would like to find a hotel this late." Gibbs scoffed. Her arms folded, she turned her head back to the window.

A night at Gibbs' house isn't exactly a night at the Ritz. His house was small quaint. Any other day, Kate wouldn't have minded to see where Gibbs lived, but this was not any other day. She longed for her bed. Now she stood in front of an unfamiliar room with the place she'd be sleeping for the night. A sigh escaped her.

"You know, I don't have any clothes." She said hoping that it would get her out of here. Gibbs brushed past her and walked into the room, turning the light on.

"I had DiNozzo grab you some stuff from your apartment." He motioned to the suitcase next to the bed.

"Great." Kate said sarcastically. "DiNozzo has been through my closet." Gibbs chuckled.

"Bathroom's across the hall. Kitchen's down the hall; if you're hungry there is pizza in the fridge. And I'll be downstairs if you need anything." She nodded silently and he left the room. Kate stood in the same spot for a moment before ripping her jacket off and throwing it on a nearby chair. Then she froze and her mind flashbacked to the morning she was kidnapped. She had done the same thing with her sweatshirt after returning from her morning run.

All of a sudden a sickening feeling fell over her. She backed up and hit the wall. Kate slid down and started crying, her head between her knees. The tears just kept falling. They weren't going to stop any time soon.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Hint of Kibbs...Not much romantically, but take what you can get for now. Maybe later I will add more.**

**Chapter 14**

A few hours later, Kate had pulled herself together, dressed in a pair of sweats and NCIS t-shirt, and crawled into the unfamiliar bed. But there would be no sleeping in it tonight. Since the moment she closed her eyes, fear and anxiety swept over. Every single time she shut her eyes, Meyers popped up. He was everywhere; Kate heard his voice, saw his face, and felt his repulsive touch. Somehow she could still smell his scent and feel his hot breath on the back of her neck.

But again she tried to fall asleep. Kate squeezed her eyes shut once more. And she was back in that basement. Only the room wasn't the one where they had spent the majority of their time; Kate was still flat on her back, but the sweats and t-shirt had disappeared. Instead she was naked and tied to a mattress on the mucky floor. Ren Meyers was on top of her, grinning. The sound of his voice was clear in her ear. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Kate darted up. She was breathing heavily and sweating. Tears were escaping the corners of her eyes. Quickly, she flipped the lamp on and looked around the room for a minute. She sighed still heavily breathing and stood up from the bed. In the kitchen, opening up the fridge a huge pizza box filled half of it. The other half was consumed by beer. _Typical Gibbs._ Kate grabbed the box. There was a whole pizza in the box with everything on it. Food wasn't really appealing to her right now, though.

The fridge sealed shut and Kate walked to the cellar steps. There was a scraping sound coming from the lower level. She tiptoed down the first few steps and each squeaked with every movement. Halfway down the steps she stopped. On the basement floor Gibbs stood next to a big wooden structure. It was supposed to be a boat, or it would be when it was finished.

"This is what you do in your basement?" Kate said as she walked down the rest of the steps. Gibbs looked up from his work, smiled, and returned to scraping wood.

"Among other things." Kate cocked an eyebrow at his answer. She walked over to the boat, standing on the opposite side of Gibbs.

"So, uh, how do you get the boat out?" She traced the wood with her finger as she waited for her answer. She had a kidding but curious tone. Kate really did want to know what his plans were once he finished the boat. He stopped his work and set down his tools.

"Can't sleep?" Gibbs questioned. He stared at Kate who shook her head.

"Must be the drugs they gave me." She forced a smile. "Who knows what was in them." The only thing that could have been more pathetic then covering up her fear was Gibbs buying it.

"You want to talk about it?" He knew that she wouldn't. Kate walked over to one of Gibbs benches and looked over the liquor.

"Ever drink that stuff?" She pointed to a bottle of unidentified and un-open liquor. He walked over to her and grabbed the bottle. The empty green mug was placed next to the bottle as he screwed open the bottle.

"Didn't know you drank." Gibbs said in a disapproving manner. The bottle clanked against the mug as a he poured for a second or two.

"I don't." She said grabbing the mug. The first sip almost made her gag. "Whoa. Strong enough for you?" Her face scrunched together. He grabbed a jar and emptied its contents.

"It's bourbon. You sip it, Kate." He took a sip of his own. "You really think this is going to help you?" She looked at the floor. Kate walked back over to the boat and sat on the edge.

"I'll take whatever I can get." The liquid sloshed in the mug as she lifted it for another sip. She set the cup down next to her on the boat and laid back. Her forearm was rested behind her head. "What a mess."

He stood next to her, looking down on her. The wood creaked as he leaned up against it.

"Every mess can be cleaned up." Gibbs said. "You just need the right help." Kate turned her head to the side.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture right now Gibbs." She closed her eyes and Gibbs laughed.

"Good because I'm not going to give you one." He reached over and grabbed Kate's mug. Gibbs looked down at her. "Get some sleep Kate." Her breathing slowed and became even and calm. She was overwhelmingly tired. As much as she was forcing herself to stay awake, her body shut down. Gibbs' voice faded into the background as Kate drifted off to sleep.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It was late the next morning when she finally awoke. She sat up, her blanket falling off her shoulders. Gibbs must've put it there after she passed out. Her neck was stiff and she tried to soothe it. A groan escaped her. Kate stood up and looked over the room as she stretched. Gibbs was slumped over in a chair with his jacket covering him.

He looked peaceful when he slept. Kate smiled. But the smile was not long-lived because a growl tore through her stomach. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. At the hospital, the nurse had given her a bag of pretzels to keep up her blood sugar after they took blood. She hadn't eaten much of it though.

The stairs creaked as she took her first step, but she went as slowly and silently as possible. Even though he practically lived on coffee, Kate knew that Gibbs was in desperate need of sleep. He had spent the last 48 hours looking for her.

The pizza in the fridge was still there, but one piece was missing. She took a slice. It was cold and stiff. She took a bite, and then another, and then another. It was a good pizza, and even better because she was starving. While she was eating, Kate looked around. Gibbs didn't have many pictures in his house, things were scattered all over the place; there was an ironing board in the kitchen, and the kitchen connected directly to the cluttered den. He had books, mostly about building boats and old issues of _Sniper Monthly_.

Kate grabbed one and started flipping through it, curious about what one would find in this magazine.

"Enjoy that?"

She was startled and dropped the magazine as she whirled around. Gibbs was standing there with an eyebrow raised. She clutched her chest.

"God, you—you scared me. And yes, it was very…interesting." He smirked at her response. The pizza box was still out in the kitchen, and he grabbed a slice.

"Sleep well?" Gibbs was chewing the pizza as he spoke.

"Uhh…yeah, if you call falling asleep uncomfortably positioned on your boat sleeping well."

"I do." He smiled at her.

"Stop that." Kate looked at him sternly. Now she was angry even though only a minute ago she had been joking with her boss. He stopped eating and looked at her.

"Stop what?"

"Stop being so nice to me because you feel sorry for me. I don't need your pity." She had become disgusted with the word. Pity. She felt it from everyone around her and it wasn't needed.

"I'm not offering you any." Gibbs' one-line answers were getting on her nerves too. It wasn't what Kate wanted to hear from him.

"Stop that too!" She stormed past him and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. "Stop agreeing with everything I say and don't say you aren't because you know you are. Quit trying to make me feel better, okay? You don't have that power."Both stood still for a moment, looking at each other. Finally Gibbs walked into the kitchen to throw away his slice of pizza.

"Alright, maybe I have been trying to make things easier for you, but frankly Kate you are right. I don't have the power to make you feel better. Only you yourself can do that. If you allow it." He shot it right back, and normally it wouldn't have hurt that much, but his words were true. That was the worst part.

"I want to go to NCIS." She made her way to the guest room and grabbed her bag. The clothes were all balled up as she sifted through them.

"No way. You haven't been cleared for duty and without your badge, you can't get in." Kate was about to interrupt him, but he started again. "And don't even bother asking because I am not going to use mine to get you in."

"I wasn't going to ask. I was just going to merely state that I am going whether you take me or not. If I have to walk there I will, but staying here or even at my apartment will drive me crazy." He noticed the exasperated and desperate look on her face and knew he would have to grant her wish. "Please Gibbs."

"Alright, but you are not working on any cases, and you may not get involved in Meyer's case. Got that?" Gibbs' tone suggested that he meant business. She crossed her arms and nodded as she started to get ready. Now all she had to do was get rid of this uneasy feeling.

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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Tony was the first one in the office that day. Just 12 hours ago, he had shot Ren Meyers through a basement window to save his partner. Now, the realness of the situation really set in. During the past 48 hours, the team had been searching for Kate nonstop, and of course Tony knew that the situation was serious. The only thing was he blocked out the emotion of it all; he just stayed focus not allowing any feelings affect his job. But the job was done. They had found Kate, and for the time being she was safe, so why was Tony feeling overwhelmed with emotion? He just realized that Kate almost died, plus Meyers obviously did something horrible to her.

No. He wouldn't think about that. Because he could think up something way worse than what actually happened.

McGee walked into the squad room holding a jacket and coffee.

"You're here early." McGee looked over at Tony as he opened his desk drawer.

"Things to do." Tony didn't look up at him as he shuffled some papers around. Any other day, the two would have gotten into some argument with cruel jokes and nicknames, but today was not any other day. He had Kate on the mind and needed to know she was alright.

"Have you—you heard anything about Kate since last night?" McGee was stuttering which usually meant he was nervous or unsure about something.

"No, Probie. I haven't" The harshness as he spoke was not something he meant to add, but he didn't care. McGee didn't deserve it, but he knew that the way Tony was feeling really had nothing to do with him. The younger agent sat down and started typing on his keyboard.

"It's okay to be worried about her Tony." McGee said. The elevator bell dinged. "I am."

"That's where you're wrong Mc-Cares too much." He stood up, his chair flinging back as he did. "I'm not worried, I mean Kate is fine. Besides, if she were here, right about now she would be making some snide comment about my latest date or my "juvenile" jokes." Tony grinned. "How could I miss that?" McGee lifted his head making his confused face.

"I'm usually right DiNozzo." Tony jumped and spun around. He was shocked to find Kate standing there behind him, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"I—I thought you were on leave." He tried to position himself to be more comfortable in this awkward situation. Gibbs was at his desk leaning over his computer.

"I was." She turned around and headed for her desk. She sat down and opened her desk drawer. Usually Kate would find her gun and badge lying there, but now there were only a few scattered folders and a granola bar. She closed the drawer.

"So why are you here? Don't you want to take some time off? Like relax a bit?" Tony was still questioning her about returning.

"I just need to get my mind off of things alright Tony?"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs called Tony from his desk. "Bring these down to Ducky." He shoved some folders at him.

"Yes boss." Tony took them and headed for the elevator. Kate got up and started to follow him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To see Abby." Kate answered. "I haven't seen her since…" She broke off because Gibbs started nodding. Kate continued to the elevator, barely making it before the door closed.

"Miss me?" Tony smirked.

"Don't flatter yourself." Jeered Kate. "I'm going to see Abby? I actually like her." Kate stared down at the floor and hit the emergency stop switch. "Tony…I just wanted to thank you…for, you know—"

"You already thanked me Kate. And besides, I wasn't going to let him kill you."

"Still." Kate looked up at him, staring straight into his eyes. There was a long pause.

"What happened in that basement Kate?" She broke their gaze and went to hit the button again, but Tony stopped her.

"Tony, I'm alive, okay? Nothing else matters." He looked at her again.

"You know that's a lie. It all matters." Kate bit her lip and considered telling Tony, but decided against it. She couldn't take another member of her team looking at her differently. She reached past him and flipped the emergency switch.

"Not to you." She mumbled. Before he could respond, the elevator reached Abby's lab and Kate dashed off. Tony sighed and leaned up against the railing as the door closed.

**Hint of Tate? I don't know. Which one would you like me to explore more? Kibbs or Tate? Review! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Emotional chapter for Kate. **

**Chapter 17**

The music from Abby's lab could be heard as the elevator reached the ground. As Kate stepped out of the elevator, the music become louder and louder. The Goth scientist was standing at her computer, clicking through various images. Kate practically had to scream to get her attention. Abby grabbed her remote, shut the music off and turned around.

"Kate!" She squealed! She ran up and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I was so worried about you! Oh. I'm so glad you're alright!" Abby squeezed her tight and Kate put her hands on her back.

"Me too Abbs." Kate started to feel stiff and uncomfortable. "Umm, Abby…"

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Abby released her friend. "So what are you doing back here? Aren't you on leave or something?"

"I decided to cut it short." Kate shoved her hands in her pockets and shrugged. On the table behind Abby, there were various items from the cellar. They were all bagged and tagged. She turned from them and looked up at the plasma. There were pictures on the screen of a mattress in an empty room. Kate immediately recognized the room. It was the room Meyers had trapped her in. He had tied her to the bed.

Kate's hands dropped. Her blood ran cold. Goosebumps ran up and down her body. She could still feel him on top of her. Her screams rang in her ears. She felt woozy and sick, like almost about to faint. Abby noticed and made the picture disappear.

"Hey Kate." She turned back to her. "It's okay. Your okay." Kate stared at the blank screen.

"You know?" It was more of a statement than a question. Abby had to have known since she was running the forensic tests. Abby nodded.

"I won't tell anyone. And if you need someone to talk to-"

"I think I'm all talked out. Between police officers and everyone on the team, talking is the last thing I want to do right now." She stood there awkwardly, not really knowing what to do.

"Do you want to stay here because I can stop for now if you want?"

"No. No don't do that. I just wanted to see you anyway. I should go now. But thanks Abby." Kate headed toward the threshold.

"Okay, well if you ever do feel like you need to talk, I'm here." Abby looked caring and sympathetic. Kate gave her a small smile.

"Thanks Abbs." She turned back to the door and headed toward the elevator. Her hand reached for the buttons and hesitated. Up or down. Gibbs would probably kill her if she went down to autopsy, but did she care? _What the hell._ The down arrow lit up as she punched the button. The bell sounded as she climbed into the empty elevator. Kate still felt like crying. But nowadays she always felt like crying.

Seeing the photos of the room made it all come back. All she could think about was what happened in that room. Truth was she would probably never forget what happened in that room. Or what happened that day. She would always carry that day around with her for the rest of her life.

The elevator bell sounded. The door slid open revealing an empty hallway. The usual lights were not on in autopsy but a desk lamp and overhead lights were. Kate entered and saw no one was there. She looked around. On Ducky's desk there was an autopsy report. Kate read the name on top. _Ren Meyers. Freezer 206. _She paused. Slowly, Kate started to walk over to the freezers; 206 was toward the left and on the second row.

Her hand reached for the handle and hesitated. The handle was cool and smooth, and cool air escaped as she tugged at the door. She shivered as a chill ran down her spine. The air around her became colder and the metal slab was worse. Her hand felt like ice as she pulled it out of the space. Ren Meyers was lying there, naked and pale. She stared down at his body, a hole in his head from where the bullet went through his skull.

His face was like stone. Most of the time in the basement, Meyers was smiling or laughing; the whole event seemed like a joke to him. A big game. Kate hated that. When he was near her she had the overwhelming urge to wipe the smile off of his smug face, but now, even when he was lying in front of her dead and gone, he scared her more than ever.

What was this power he had over Kate? Something she could not figure out. She had never been easily intimidated or taken advantage of. Ren Meyers was dead, and he could not hurt her anymore. Yet, he still was. She stared down at his face…each time she shut her eyes she saw his face. He was on top of her and smiling—controlling her. The sliding doors interrupted her thoughts. She spun around to see Ducky walking in wearing his lab coat and carrying a clipboard. He looked up startled.

"Oh, Caitlyn." He said. "Surprised to see you here." Kate was still frozen next to Meyers' body. Ducky noticed the open freezer and walked toward her. "Actually, I'm glad you're here." He closed the freezer door and put his arm behind her, ushering her forward. "I've, uh, I've been meaning to talk to you. I assume you know that you have to pass your psych evaluation to be cleared for duty." Kate nodded.

"Yeah, I've been told. They want to make sure I haven't gone crazy." She scratched her head.

"Well, I talked to the NCIS psychiatrist, and offered to do the report myself. I figured it would be more comfortable for you if it wasn't a stranger asking you the personal questions." Kate half smiled.

"Thanks Ducky. I appreciate it."

"When would you like to make the appointment my dear?"

"Umm, now." He looked up at her as she spoke. "If you don't mind? I just, I want to get this over with and stop talking about it."

"Well sure. If you would like. Here have a seat." He brought a chair to one of the clean slabs. "Would you like some tea?" She sat down as he crossed behind her.

"Sure." She heard him fumbling with things behind her. Kate just stared own at her nails. The kettle screeched a minute later. The mugs clanked together. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. All of a sudden she felt someone touch her shoulder. She jumped up and away, knocking the chair over.

Ducky was stunned, his free hand outstretched and the other holding the mug with tea. Kate was breathing heavily.

"Cait lyn. It's okay. It's just me." Ducky tried assuring her. He stepped a half an inch closer. She then took a half a step back in reaction. Her eyes were glazed over.

"I—I'm sorry Ducky. I don't know why I…" She trailed off. He still looked concerned. Ducky set the tea down on the slab and picked up the chair from the floor.

"It's alright. Here sit back down. Relax." Kate grabbed the back of the chair and slowly sank into it. Ducky went over to his desk and came back with a clipboard, folder, and tape recorder. "I do have to record this." She nodded grabbing the mug and sipped the tea. Her hands were shaking terribly. If there was anyway to get out of this, she would've, but then they would never reinstate her as a special agent. This whole ordeal just needed to be over; Kate needed to get on with her life.

"Are you ready?" Ducky asked her as he pulled a chair so that he was sitting across from her.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Her hands were cupped around the mug, taking in the warmth from the cup.

"Alright, well why don't we start at the beginning. 2 days ago. What happened on the day Meyers kidnapped you?" Kate stared straight into the mug. She tapped the mug and tea rippled.

"Uh, well…I had gone for a run earlier that morning. When I returned to my apartment, I took a shower and got dressed for work. Once again I was running late, so I was halfway out the door before I realized I didn't have my gun. The gun is kept in the top drawer of my bedside table, but when I opened it, the drawer was empty. No gun. Before I could even react someone was holding a cloth over my mouth and nose."

"Do you know what was on it?" Ducky asked staring down at his sheet of paper.

"Chloroform. The scent was sweet."

"What happened next?"

"The next thing I remember was waking up in the basement. I was confused and dazed, so I had no idea what was going on. My arms were tied behind me and the chair I was sitting on was tied to a pole. The knots were too tight for me to breakthrough. It was only a few minutes after I woke up that Ren—I mean Meyers—came into the room. He would lift a lock on the other side of the door coming in, and then padlock the door on the inside. I figured it was so I couldn't kill him and escape."

"Yes I noticed the series of locks. Did Ren Meyers talk to you at all?" Ducky asked, still taking notes. Kate nodded her head yes.

"From the moment I got there." She explained. "He told me why he was holding me and his whole 'master plan'."

"What else happened when you were first there?"

"Umm, well when I woke up, Meyers was entering the room. When I asked him questions, he told me why I was there and who he was…sort of. Anyway, he brought me food in a take-out type bag. There was a bland chicken sandwich and water bottle, nothing special. Since my arms were bound behind me he fed it to me."Ren's face appeared again in front of her. She could see his hands in her lap as he fed her the sandwich. "I saw an opportunity so when there was less of the sandwich, I bit his fingers. Drew blood." She straightened up and smirked. The only part she didn't mind reliving was when Ren Myers was in pain.

"How did he respond to that?"

"He kicked me in the stomach, that's how I broke the ribs," She explained rubbing her stomach. "And then he punched me so that my head flew back into the pole. Causing my—"

"Concussion. Yes I figured." Ducky was still looking down at the papers in front of him. "Now what happened when Agent Gibbs didn't reach the first 24 hour deadline Petty Officer Meyers gave him?" Ducky's voice was gentle; Kate assumed he already knew the answer. She glanced down at the tape recorder, and he picked up on her insecurity. "Caitlyn, I know this is hard…" Ducky's hand reached for hers. She gave him a soft smile.

"No," Kate sniffed as she felt tears building up in the back of her eyes again. She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. "I'm fine."

"Well, after he called Gibbs in MTAC, he shut off the camera and started releasing my bounds." The tugging at the ropes on her body drifted back into her mind. "He had a knife in his hand. He had one of my arms twisted behind my back and the weapon to my throat." Kate stared at a spot on the autopsy table as she spoke. Never did she dare look up into Ducky's eyes. "Next thing I know, he's pushing me into a room. I had barely looked around before I saw it. There was—uh—a mattress in the center of the room.

"The moment I saw it I turned around and sprung for the door. But he caught me, so I kicked him in the crotch. He fell to the ground and I ran out of the room." It all came back to her…the fight, the struggle, Ren grabbing her and forcing her back into the room. "I…I wasn't quick enough. Because he ran out a few moments later and grabbed me around the waist. He heaved me back into the room. I clawed and kicked as he threw me on the mattress." Kate paused for a minute as she was reliving the events in her mind.

"Did he…did he say anything to you Caitlyn?" Ducky broke the silence, trying to take her out of her deep thoughts.

"I think I'll take this nice and slow." Ren's voice echoed in her mind as she spoke. She could still feel his hot breath next to her ears. "He turned on a video camera in the corner that I hadn't noticed before. Meyers said that he didn't want Gibbs to miss it. Then he yanked my top off." Kate pulled her sleeves down around her hands. Talking about this gave her the chills. "After my top half was…exposed, I kicked his back. But it only made him rougher and angrier. He slid his hands down to the buttons on my pants." A tear slid down Kate's cheek. "I wouldn't stop moving, so he punched my face and left the room quickly. Before I could react, he was back with a rope. Ren tied my hands first together. Once that was done he slipped the rope all the way under the mattress toward my feet." Kate's breath was shaky. She looked up at Ducky for the first time in their conversation.

"I tried to stop him. I just, I couldn't over power him. He tied my legs open and…I was in there for hours" She couldn't stop the tears anymore. Ducky looked heart broken listening to this story.

"Caitlyn—I…" But Kate cut him off when she stood up and walked toward the wall. She turned to face him again.

"He kept saying things to me while he…he was inside me. That I wanted it, that I deserved it, and that it was my fault. He said that I was weak and worthless." Kate took a long pause and stared at the ground. "He was right." Her voice was no higher than a whisper. Ducky shut off the tape recorder and jumped up to meet her. Her arms were crossed and she was sobbing with her head down.

"Caitlyn, there was nothing you could have done." He put his hands on both of her shoulders. She looked up.

"I should have fought harder." She said sternly, pain in her face. "I could've taken his knife or strangled him with the rope or…" She started to sob again. Ducky kept her from falling down to the floor.

"Caitlyn listen to me. You did everything you were supposed to do. You survived." Her head fell to his shoulder and he just held her there. Kate all of a sudden backed up and wiped the tears from her face.

"I'm sorry Ducky, I just, we'll have to continue this later." She sprinted toward the door and hit the elevator button. It was empty, thank god. She threw herself in and hit the ground floor button. Kate tried to compose herself, but she just couldn't get it together. She flipped the emergency switch and the elevator came to an immediate halt. The tears flooded down her face as she sobbed. Her good hand grabbed a hold of the railing while she slid down the wall. The hand with the cast met her mouth trying to conceal any noises that might escape. _I love a good fighter._ His voice echoed in her mind. _You're all mine. Forever. _With that Kate completely collapsed.

**Please review. Also tell me, Tate or Kibbs!**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Author's Note:**__** Alright, so I finally finished this chapter. The general consensus seems to want this to be a Kibbs story so I will see what I can do. When I write Kibbs stories, I try to make it seems as real to the characters as possible, which is hard. So, I'm trying. But If you have any ideas or suggestions feel free to review or message me. I should also have Chapter 19 up soon...so without further ado, Chapter 18!**_

_**(I do not own NCIS or any of its characters.) **_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

Gibbs as sitting at his desk pretending to be interested in something on the computer. Truthfully, he was waiting for Kate to come back. She had been gone nearly 45 minutes and with everything that had happened, he wanted her as close to him as possible. At that moment, the bell on the elevator rang out and the poised brunette walked out.

"Kate." Gibbs said, a little more sternly then he had intended. "Where have you been?"

"I didn't know I had to constantly inform you of my whereabouts, Special Agent Gibbs." Her voice carried the same tone that he had given her. On a normal day, he would've smirked at her response, but this was no normal day. Instead he told himself to not be as harsh considering.

She had already seated herself at her desk, pulling at her compact mirror to make sure her eyes weren't red or her face not tear streaked.

"Well, Agent Todd, seeing as you just got kidnapped, I think that would be a pretty good idea." He waltzed toward her desk. She snapped her compact shut forcefully and stood up, sliding her chair into the cubicle wall behind her.

"I realize that I was kidnapped, and I don't understand why people feel the need to keep reminding me. Trust me, that won't be forgotten anytime soon." Kate was all of a sudden breathing hard with a beat red face. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She just had so much anger in her, she felt like she was going to explode. Realizing what had just happened by the expression on Gibbs face, Kate pushed pasted him and stumbled toward the elevator.

It had already been open when she reached. A feeling of relief passed over her as the doors started to close, until a hand prevented them from sealing shut. Gibbs glared at her as he entered the small space. After a moment of silence he hit the emergency stop button as Kate sighed and turned to him.

"I was with Ducky, alright? He was doing my psych evaluation." Her face still felt hot, but her heart beat had slowed to a normal pace. "And I know how you feel about apologies, but I think my behavior back there deserves one." She stared into his deep blue eyes, not seeing anger but frustration. He didn't say anything for another few minutes, but they just stood there staring into each others' eyes.

"Did you pass?" Gibbs asked her, breaking the silence. "Your psych evaluation."

"Uhh…not exactly." Kate said as she severed their eye contact. "I didn't finish. I left before we could."

"Why?"

"It's not very easy to talk about Gibbs." She thought that would be pretty self explanatory, especially to him. But the anger started to take over again.

"Make it easy. Because you are going to need to toughen up and talk about it if you want to remain here." He was being so harsh that it was hurting her which practically killed him. But he remained stone. Her expression was stunned and angry, tears welling in her eyes.

"Toughen up? So what are you saying I'm weak? Is that it?" She couldn't believe her ears as Gibbs, the man who had comforted her a few hours ago, was now standing in front of her, criticizing her abilities. The next words he spoke were as cold as ice.

"Weak enough to get kidnapped…and raped."

At that moment, she snapped. Balling her hands into fists and pounding on his chest. He backed up against the wall as she hit him, but she was losing it. Clawing and smacking and punching. Only, the man she was fighting was no longer Leroy Jethro Gibbs. It was Ren Meyers. His face no longer bearing that smug smile. And she fought him until two hands grabbed her wrists, pulling her back into reality. Kate hadn't even noticed the tears streaming down her face. Gibbs pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"Good to see there is still a person in there." He whispered. Quickly remembering the conversation they had just had, Kate forcefully broke away from him. "Kate, I just wanted to get a real reaction out of you for once. I of course don't blame you for anything that happened. You just can't live in the memories. Meyers is dead Kate. He can't hurt you anymore. Set free the pain and guilt. Just let it go." With Gibbs speaking to her like that, she could almost forgive him. He was caring and sympathetic, sweet a loving. The polar opposite of what he had been a few moments ago. It occurred to her that Gibbs had only talked to her like that to bring her out of the funk she was in, but she quickly waved that thought away.

"You're such a bastard." Kate whispered shaking her head. She was still standing and facing away from him. He chuckled lightly.

"Yeah. Yeah so I've heard." He took a step closer to her, hesitating to touch her. He placed one hand lightly on her shoulder. This time, she was not frightened by the touch, but annoyed. She spun around and smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled. He grabbed her arm that had swatted him away with the other hand. Hastily and forcefully he pulled her up against him. Gibbs' head ducked down and his lips met Kate's. He started to kiss her, passionately and vigorously. Her squeal of surprise sounded through the kiss. Her free hand started hitting his shoulder and his face, resisting the kiss. But he pulled her head to his as she slowly stopped hitting.

After a minute, he released her to look at her stunned face, red lips, and tussled hair. She didn't move at all, her wrist still in the same place even though he had released it. Both were breathing heavily.

"Why did you…" Kate started touching her lips.

"I—I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." Gibbs stuttered. She hadn't ever seen him stutter before. She hit the emergency switch as the elevator jolted into motion. Luckily, the doors slid open quickly and she ran out as Gibbs hollered after her. But Kate didn't turn back. Tears filled her eyes again as she created as much distance between her and Gibbs as possible.

Kate eventually entered Abby's lab, sobbing. She lifted her head up to look at Abby when she turned around. Her lips pressed together as she tilted her head and dashed over to Kate to wrap her in a tight hug. She sobbed on Abby's shoulder, not knowing what else to do.

Back in the elevator, Gibbs thought it would be useless to run after Kate, especially following what had just happened. The door slid shut as he lost sight of her. _Why did I have to kiss her! _He growled at himself. And his anger just exploded as he kicked the metal wall, leaving a dent. He held himself by leaning on the wall and breathing heavily. _I can't believe I just did that. I may have just lost the most important person in my life._

**Please review!:) **


	19. Chapter 19

_**Author's Note:**** So, these are the last few chapters. Most of you wanted a Kibbs story, so that is what you've got. I hope you like it! :) P.S. I know it's short, and honestly the last 3 chapters could've been combined into one, but I like separating them. **_

**Chapter 19**

After Kate had spent nearly 30 minutes sobbing on Abby's shoulder, she finally recovered enough to explain her situation to her. She normally wasn't into gabbing about her personal life, but she trusted Abby enough not to go spread any rumors. Plus, she just needed to vent about what had just happened in the elevator. It's not everyday that your boss makes you feel worthless and then kisses you passionately. And at first, Kate was against this kiss…trying to pull him off of her, but the thing that scared her the most was once she got into it, she sort of…liked it.

"So…wait." Abby said as Kate was explaining everything to her. "After he hugged you, Gibbs just pulled you in and…kissed you?" Kate nodded. "I KNEW IT!" Abby squealed.

"Wait. You knew what?"

"About you and Gibbs! Duh!" Abby had grin stretched from ear to ear. She was obviously very excited.

"Abby. There is _no_ me and Gibbs. Besides…" Kate broke eye contact with her. She looked down and to the left. "I don't like Gibbs as any more than a co-worker should like her boss."

"HA! Liar!" Abby yelled as she stood up, pointing at Kate. "You looked down and to the left. Sure sign of a liar!" Kate silently cursed herself for teaching Abby some profiling techniques.

"Abby stop trying to profile me." Kate got up from her seat and walked over to look out the window near the ceiling of Abby's lab. "I have no feelings for Gibbs. End of story." She didn't believe a single word her friend was telling her.

"Well, he obviously has feelings for you, so what are you going to do about that?" Abby raised an eyebrow as she looked at Kate. Kate sighed.

"I—I have no idea." Her hands cupped around her face as she let out a groan/yell of frustration. "This is all too much!" She groaned. "First I get kidnapped and then my boss has to go and kiss me in the damn elevator!" Her arms flew down forcefully. The urge to throw up lingered in her throat as she breathed deeply. "Ugh. Abbs, what the hell am I gonna do?"

"Well," Abby walked up behind her and place a hand on her shoulder. "You can start by being true to yourself. And to Gibbs." Kate sighed, turned around, and quickly wrapped Abby in a hug. "Thanks Abbs." She sighed.

"Anytime Kate." Abby giggled. "Good luck!"

Kate rolled her eyes as she exited the Goth's lab and headed for the elevator. She and Gibbs were going to have a real long talk. Although she wasn't sure if she was completely ready for it.

After Kate had stormed out of the elevator, Gibbs had returned to the squad to finish his dreaded paperwork. But Gibbs was angry the rest of the day. How could he have lost his professionalism like that? Kate was his employee. He would be lucky if she didn't file sexual harassment charges against him. And the timing too. For Christ's sakes, she had been kidnapped and raped less then 72 hours ago.

He deserved a Gibbs-smack for his behavior. It felt like something DiNozzo would have done. That was even worse. And now Kate was off somewhere, probably calling a lawyer or judge to make sure none of that ever happened again. He had broken his highly valued Rule #12 and at least a dozen more personal ones of both his and Kate's.

About a half an hour after the situation in the elevator, Gibbs decided he had enough. He barked something about getting coffee to DiNozzo, and exited the building. He was going to go get coffee, but he wouldn't be returning after he did.

**_Please Review! I love getting Reviews! :) _**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

When Kate returned to the squad room from Abby's Lab, Gibbs was no where in sight. Tony was sitting at his desk doing paperwork while McGee was out getting food.

"Where is Gibbs?" Kate questioned her partner. Tony looked up.

"Hmm…oh uh…he said something about going to get coffee." He shoved some papers in a folder before getting a confused look on his face. "Although, that was quite a while ago." Tony studied Kate's face for a minute before speaking again. "How you doing?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, DiNozzo." She said heading for her desk. Without realizing, Kate opened desk drawer for her sig and badge. The drawer was empty since both had been confiscated during the investigation. She slammed the door shut with a sigh and headed toward the elevator.

"Where you going!" Tony shouted from behind.

"Out." Kate stated as the elevator doors slid open. _Out to try and fix something I broke. _

It wasn't long after he got coffee that Gibbs ended up in his basement with a bottle of bourbon and a sander. If he couldn't fix his relationship with Kate, he might as well drink until he forgets it is broken. But he couldn't keep his mind on his boat. Gibbs had just about sanded one of the beams off when he heard his front door being slammed. He jerked his head up as the stairs leading into the basement started to creak.

"You're gonna break your boat." Kate looked at him with those beautiful, brown eyes from about halfway down the steps. Gibbs dropped his sander and leaned up against the smooth wood.

"Then it will be easier to get out of here." Gibbs stated as he watched Kate walk down the rest of the stairs.

"And how would you do that exactly?" Gibbs smirked at the question. For a moment, it felt like old times. Him and Kate just joking around, nothing awkward or confusing between them. Just laughter and smiles.

"What are you doing here Kate?" He said after a moment of silence. She paused.

"I'm here to see how you get this god damn boat out." She chuckled. "Umm...No honestly, I don't know why I am here. I guess I'm just confused."

"Yeah." Gibbs rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, that makes two of us."

"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs…_confused?_" Kate scoffed as she grinned.

"It happens every once and a while."

"Well, Special Agent Gibbs," Kate walked closer to him. "What are you so confused about?"

"You. Me. Us." He grabbed her hand and held in between his.

"What about us?" Kate whispered, watching as he slowly turned her hand around in his. Gibbs brought one hand to her chin and raised her head so that they were staring into each others' eyes. His lips gently touched hers in a light kiss. Their lips separated again enough for an "oh" to escape her.

Gibbs backed away from her again. He put both hands on his head and released a heavy sigh. His mind was racing. This couldn't happen. Rule #12. He had made these rules to prevent something like this from happening. Yet he had allowed it to happen. He himself had started this, knowing that he would not want to stop. Now this beautiful woman, this woman who he had very strong feelings for, was standing there in _his_ basement.

"Am I that bad of a kisser?" Kate said, giving a light chuckle.

"Trust me. That's not the problem." Gibbs said.

"Then what is?" She asked, stepping toward him once again. He turned around and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"I think you know. And you must have thought about it, or else you wouldn't be here."

"You're right. I have thought about it. And there is that part of me, just like you, that feels this is wrong." Kate walked closer to him and slipped her hand inside is. "But there is another part of me, a bigger part, which is telling me to screw the other side and kiss him."

"Is that side by any chance named Abby?" Gibbs smirked and Kate laughed.

"Yeah, she may not have been the best person to discuss this with, but she did help me make the right decision."

"And what decision is that, Agent Todd?"

Kate boosted herself up on her toes and their lips met. For a second they stayed in the same position, foreheads touching, before Kate lowered herself down flat on her feet. She bit her lip as they stared at each other again. Neither of the two agents had any clue what they were doing. Gibbs had always been the one who new everything. Now even he had no idea what to do. Kate…worried him. Confused him even. The last time he had been involved with a partner, it didn't end well. That was how Rule #12 was established in the first place. But now, standing here together, Gibbs felt different. It was the same feeling he had when he kissed Shannon. His guard was done, and that was something he never let happen. So why with Kate?

It could be possible that Kate's guard was down too. And she paid no attention to the voice in her head, screaming to stop her from jumping into this. However, Kate was ready to jump. She had gone through the usual routine of convincing herself that Gibbs wasn't right for her, that he was a bastard (not to mention her boss), and the age difference between them would never work. But her overwhelming connection with him was just too much to ignore.

Both were in uncharted territories, not acting like themselves, but totally and completely attracted to each other.

"So," Kate sighed. "What do we do now?" Gibbs leaned down again and kissed Kate, more passionately than before. The kiss was hot and rough. Their lips fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. Gibbs obviously wanted to go farther, but Kate pushed him away again. She wanted to be with Gibbs, she did, but it was too soon. Although the whole thing with Gibbs had distracted her for a while, Kate was still dealing with what Ren Meyers had done to her. "Gibbs. I'm sorry, I just…I'm not ready for this. Too soon." Gibbs nodded.

"I understand. Besides, it's probably better if we take this slow. Whatever _this_ is."

"I'm attracted to you Gibbs." She whispered. "But, I don't know if I'm ready for…_this _yet." He nodded again before pulling her into a warm embrace. Her head on his chest, he kissed her hair. Kate felt like crying in his arms. Just letting it all go while he held her. Instead, she snuggled closer to him. "Can I stay here again tonight?" She asked.

"I'd be insulted if you didn't." Gibbs said, forcing Kate to smile. And the two stood there in the embrace until Kate's eyes couldn't stay open any longer.

_**Review! **_


	21. Chapter 21

**_Author's Note: Alright, so I am not to crazy about the ending to the story (even though I wrote it), only because I feel like it could've been better. Maybe I will write a sequel or something, I don't really know. Only if I get reviews from people wanting one. So, enjoy the last chapter! _**

**Chapter 21 **

The next time Kate opened her eyes, she was lying in Gibbs' guest room. She was still dressed in her clothes from earlier that day, but a blanket was neatly lying over her body. Kate scratched her head and propped herself up on one elbow. Immediately her eyes darted towards a male figure slumped in a chair. Gibbs was lounging in the chair with his jacket over his abdomen and chin resting on his chest. She smiled looking over at him. He looked so peaceful; relaxed. More so than she had ever seen him.

She contemplated waking him up but decided she better let him sleep. So Kate tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Noticing the jacket and purse on the chair, her mind flashed back to the previous night. They kissed. Again. She and Gibbs had kissed. It had been romantic and passionate, but most of all overwhelming. She smiled remembering it. And a frown quickly followed. What were they going to do at work today? Ignore each other? Pretend it never happened? But it did happen. Honestly, Kate didn't want to forget it. She was done worrying about every single move she took. Being kidnapped probably should have had the opposite effect, but it didn't. Kate was always careful…too careful, but something still happened to her. And if Gibbs hadn't found Ren in time, she would've been dead too. So why should she wait to take chances. Being an NCIS agent means putting your life on the line every day, and Kate was not prepared to die without expressing her true feelings.

Shaking those thoughts away, Kate decided to make breakfast. Might as well. Plus it would be the perfect way to start off Gibbs' day, and hopefully make him regret the night before a little less.

But the contents in the fridge hadn't changed, except for the pizza being totally gone. So, she could make beer…or beer. Sighing and closing the fridge, Kate grabbed her jacket and purse, swiftly opened the door and shut it tight behind her.

The coffee shop Gibbs went to was obviously in close proximity to his house. It took her 15 minutes to walk there from the house. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Gibbs drank plain black coffee, but what did he eat for breakfast? He didn't seem like the sandwich or muffin type guy, so Kate settled on some donuts. Plain, glazed, etc.

She practically sprinted back to Gibbs' house, trying to make it there before he awoke. But she was unsuccessful for the moment she walked in the door, she was ambushed by her boss.

"Where the hell were you?" Gibbs barked as soon as she crossed the threshold.

"I—uh—I got breakfast." She said raising the bag and drink tray innocently.

"You should've said something. I mean, I was worried something happened to you." Kate felt touched. He worried about her, and that meant a lot to her knowing that he cared.

"I'm sorry. I just thought you might like some food. You know, you should really invest in some groceries." Kate chuckled, but Gibbs' expression didn't break.

"Wake me next time. I'll come with you." He was a little gentler this time.

"Alright. So do you want this coffee or not?" Gibbs walked over to her and grabbed the cup. He took a sip before speaking again.

"Thanks." He smiled at her sheepishly.

"Why is this so hard?" Kate sat, brushing past him toward the kitchen. "You and me. I mean, when did relationships get so hard?" She paused for a moment, taking a sip of her own coffee before realizing what she had just said. "Uhh, not that I think we are in a relationship. It's just that—"

Gibbs put his finger over her lips. He looked into her eyes.

"Shh. You talk too much." He smiled and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. Kate was extremely attracted to him. Now more than ever. Everything about him made her crazy. His unusual haircut, the way he always wore a white t-shirt under his clothes (like a marine), and his scent. A mixture of coffee, sawdust and an unidentified substance.

"I hate it when you do that." She whispered. He made a shocked and confused look. His eyebrows knitted together. "Well, no I like _that._ Kissing you and all. It's just, when you do it, I don't want to stop."

"Kate, I know you aren't ready yet, and I respect that. So we can wait until—"

"No. No I don't want to wait. I'm ready. Now."

"Kate look, you don't have to feel pressured into this. It's okay if we wait."

"But, Gibbs, that's just it. I don't _want_ to wait. I mean, what's the point of waiting? I want you, you want me…I mean you do want me right?" She asked worriedly. He laughed.

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I? You are beautiful, smart, confident, strong, witty, sexy…you're everything I want." Tears came to Kate's eyes. She didn't care about Ren Meyers anymore. She didn't care about what had happened to her. A day ago it seemed impossible to be able to put it behind her, but standing there with Gibbs, she had never felt more secure in her life. With that thought she reached up to grab his face and forcefully pulled him down to kiss her.

This kiss was different then the previous pecks. It was passionate and fiery. Every ounce of her was going into this kiss. Gibbs' tongue ran along her lips as he requested permission. She granted him access and their tongues fought for dominance.

Kate stripped her jacket off without breaking contact with her partner. He did the same as they both headed for the bedroom. She fell back on the bed, Gibbs' lips coming to meet hers once again.

She was waiting for it…the flashback of Ren on top of her, but it didn't happen. Kate could feel the love and care within Gibbs' movements, the way his hands gently caressed her skin. There was no way this could possibly remind her of Meyers' hate.

This was her new start. Her and Gibbs together at last. And all of the complications with their work didn't matter. Because right now, all that mattered was the two of them sharing something magical. Eventually, they would have to confront those complications; deciding whether to keep their relationship a secret or tell the team, developing a professional relationship at work, and whatever other difficulties popped up. But worrying about would could or might happen was not going to stop Gibbs and Kate from doing what should happen. Age differences, working together, too much time was spent worrying over those things.

One thing was for certain, Kate was done worrying. As each piece of clothing disappeared, the intensity grew. Until, the two finally collapsed in bed together. Kate's head rested on Gibbs' chest as his arm snaked around her shoulders. She felt safe and warm. If the rest of their days were like this, neither would mind. Because when you are in love, just being with your significant other is all you need.

The End.

**_Hope you liked it! I hope that all you Kibbs fans weren't extremely disappointed. I could've gone way more into detail during this last scene, but the truth is I just don't feel comfortable writing a sex scene between Kate and Gibbs. I don't know. Maybe I will get over it. Anyway, I am currently writing a Tate fiction, so I hope you guys will be looking for that. And I don't know if this is a stupid suggestion, but if you weren't satisfied with the ending and want a sequel or something, review or message me. But Review either way because they cheer up my day! :)_**


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